INTERACTION OF ALKALI-METAL ATOMS WITH CSCL MOLECULES ON THE SURFACE OF A GRAPHITE MONOLAYER ON IRIDIUM

Research has been continued on the interaction of alkali element atoms with CsCl molecules when they are absorbed together on the surface of a monolayer of graphite on iridium, which is passive with respect to dissociation of the molecules, under steady-state conditions of entry of fluxes of these particles and thermal desorption of the reaction products. It has been established that exchange reactions take place on the surface, with maximum efficiencies in the series K, Na, and Li amounting to 1, 0.8, and 0.4, respectively, under comparable conditions of experiment. The experimentally established kinetics of the reactions have been compared with the kinetics obtained by an analysis that specifically takes into account the formation, decomposition, and desorption of molecules in the excited state. An explanation is found for the dependence of the maximum efficiency of the reactions on the properties of the alkali element atom.