Infrared reflectance spectra of ethyl formate on Ni(111) at 105 K were recorded as a function of surface
coverage. The RAIRS activities of several bands are found to vary in a correlated manner as a function of
coverage. The activity of both the asymmetric stretching vibration and the twisting vibration of the CH2
group at low coverages conclusively show that adsorption occurs initially in the s-cis,gauche conformation.
These two bands fade out on increasing the coverage and are completely removed at full monolayer coverage.
The coverage dependence is interpreted in terms of rotational isomerization to a planar conformation as the
packing density in the adlayer is increased. The results are consistent with an attribution of the full coverage
molecular structure to the s-trans,trans conformation.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.