On the different adsorption behavior of bismuth, sulfur, selenium and tellurium on a Pt(775) stepped surface

The deposition behavior of sulfur, selenium, tellurium and bismuth on the Pt(775) surface has been studied by cyclic voltammetry. It has been found that bismuth and tellurium deposit preferentially on the step sites. Once the step sites are fully covered by these adatoms, the deposition on the terrace starts. Conversely, step decoration cannot be achieved with sulfur and selenium. For these adatoms, the deposition takes place preferentially on the terrace. The different behavior of the adatoms is related to differences in their electronic properties. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science S.A. All rights reserved.