Electronically non-adiabatic influences in surface chemistry and dynamics

Electronically nonadiabatic interactions between molecules and metal surfaces are now well known. Evidence is particularly clear from studies of diatomic molecules that molecular vibration can be strongly coupled to electrons of the metal leading to efficient energy transfer between these two kinds of motion. Since molecular vibration is the same motion needed for bond breaking, it is logical to postulate that electronically nonadiabatic influences on surface chemical reaction probabilities would be strong. Still there are few if any examples where such influences have been clearly investigated. This review recounts the evidence for and against the aforementioned postulate emphasizing reacting systems that have yet to receive full attention and where electronically nonadiabatic influence of reaction probabilities might be clearly demonstrated. Electronically nonadiabatic interactions between molecules and metal surfaces are now well known. But evidence that such interactions influence reaction rates is still scarce. This paper reviews research related to this topic and proposes pathways forward.