O2 transient trapping-desorption at the Ag(111) surface

Molecular beam scattering experiments of O₂ from Ag(111) carried out at a surface temperature of 150 K, which is below the desorption temperature for the molecular chemisorption state, show three different scattering paths: physisorption followed by desorption, direct-inelastic scattering and transient trapping-desorption. The transient trapping-desorption process is attributed to transient adsorption of the molecule in a metastable O₂^d- state at the surface. The translational desorption energy of the transiently trapped molecules is far above thermal, strongly dependent on the surface temperature and independent of the translational energy and angle of the incident oxygen molecule. A strongly peaked intensity distribution around the surface normal is observed for the desorption. The transient trapping probability shows a sharp increase above a threshold energy and a subsequent decrease with increasing incidence energy. It is accompanied by a strong broadening in the angular direct-inelastically scattered flux distribution. The possible origin of the metastable O₂^d- state will be discussed.