Nitrogen Molecule Adsorption on Cationic Tantalum Clusters and Rhodium Clusters and Desorption from Their Nitride Clusters Studied by Thermal Desorption Spectrometry

Adsorption and desorption of N2 molecules onto cationic Ta and Rh clusters in the gas phase were investigated in the temperature range of 300–1000 K by using thermal desorption spectrometry in combination with density functional theory (DFT) calculations. For Ta6 +, the first N2 molecule was found to adsorb dissociatively, and it remained adsorbed when Ta6 +N2 was heated to 1000 K. In contrast, the second and the subsequent N2 molecules adsorbed weakly as a molecular form and were released into the gas phase when heated to 600 K. The difference can be explained in terms of the activation barrier between the molecular and dissociative forms. On the other hand, when Ta clusters were generated in the presence of N2 gas by the laser ablation of a Ta rod, isomeric clusters, Ta n N m +, having heat resistivity were formed. For Rh6 +, N2 adsorbed molecularly at 300 K and desorbed totally at 450 K. These results were consistent with the DFT calculations, indicating that the dissociative adsorption of N2 is endothermic.