In this study, we investigated the atomic-level interaction
between
CO molecules and a well-ordered Mn3O4(001) thin
film. The oxide film, initially grown on a single-crystal Au(111)
substrate, was characterized using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy
(XPS) to determine its oxidation state. Further examination of the
film structure through scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM)
and low-energy electron diffraction (LEED) revealed its growth orientation
along the [001] direction, with three domains rotated by 60°
and aligned with the ⟨110⟩Au directions.
Notably, the termination of the film features a layer of Mn3+ cations covered with oxygen atoms. The study then focused on the
interaction of the film with CO, employing infrared reflection absorption
spectroscopy (IRAS) and temperature-programmed IRAS (TP-IRAS). The
results unveiled two distinct IR peaks related to CO adsorption: one
at 2140 cm–1, signifying that CO molecules weakly
adsorbed on the oxygen-terminated surface of Mn3+ cations,
and another at 2105 cm–1, indicative of CO molecules
bound to Mn2+ cations at oxygen vacancies.