Temperature-programmed reaction/desorption and reflection−absorption infrared spectroscopy have been
employed to investigate the thermal reactions and adsorption geometry of FCH2CH2OH molecules on clean
and oxygen-preadsorbed Cu(100) surfaces. Molecular desorption predominates in heating FCH2CH2OH
adsorbed on clean Cu(100). However, ∼20% adsorbed FCH2CH2OH molecules at about half-monolayer
coverage dissociate on the surface to form water, ethylene, and 1,4-dioxane. On the other hand, monolayer
FCH2CH2OH completely dissociates on oxidized Cu(100) to form 1,4-dioxane and the surface intermediate
of FCH2CH2O(a), which further decomposes to evolve FCH2CHO(g) at temperatures higher than ∼350 K. The
decomposition of FCH2CH2OH to form FCH2CH2O(a) on oxidized Cu(100) begins at ∼160 K and is completed
by 220 K. On clean Cu(100), FCH2CH2OH molecules at ∼0.25 monolayer coverage are adsorbed with the
C−C−O skeleton approximately parallel to the surface. The C−C−O skeleton tilts away from the surface as
the exposure is increased to a half-monolayer coverage. However, the parallel C−C−O orientation is not
observed on the oxidized surface, even at the FCH2CH2OH exposure for a 0.25 monolayer coverage.