Theoretical determination of the structure of acetylene on Pt(111)

An atom superposition and electron delocalization technique applied to acetylene chemisorption on small cluster models for the Pt(111) surface shows preference for the triangular site as deduced from electron energy loss analyses by Ibach and Lehwald. This confirms the applicability of Badger's and related rules in this instance. Calculations on CCH 3 produce a structure in agreement with a dynamic LEED analysis at 400 K by Kesmodel, Dubois and Somorjai. Structures of CCH 2 and CHCH 2 are calculated and these species are found to be less stable than acetylene and CCH 3, respectively, when chemisorbed on Pt(111).