Oxygen adsorption on the (1 x 2) missing row reconstructed Rh(110) surface was studied by means of low-energy electron diffraction, X-ray photo-electron spectroscopy and scanning tunnelling microscopy. Starting from the already known (2 x 2)p2mg oxygen overlayer in which the substrate was (1 x 2) reconstructed, further oxygen was dosed at room and lower temperatures. Upon heating, additional substrate reconstruction takes place and the surface formed a new structure with (10 x 2) periodicity and high local oxygen coverage. Oxygen 1s X-ray photo-electron spectroscopy measurements show a binding energy shift from 530.25eV in the (2 x 2)p2mg to 529.75eV in the (10 x 2) layer. Analysis of scanning tunnelling microscopic images reveals that in the (10 x 2) layer, the rhodium close-packed rows were strained and segmented in the [1¯10] direction. On the basis of the experimental results, models for the (10 x 2) structure and its formation process were proposed and compared with "pseudo-oxide" structures.

(10 x 2) Strained Reconstruction Induced by Oxygen Adsorption on the Rh(110) Surface. E.Vesselli, C.Africh, A.Baraldi, G.Comelli, F.Esch, R.Rosei: Journal of Chemical Physics, 2001, 114[9], 4221