Reactions of pulsed-laser evaporated lithium atoms with O2 and N2O Original Research Article

Pulsed laser evaporated Li atoms were codeposited with O2 in excess argon at 12 K. The same LiO2 and LiO2Li products were observed that were formed with thermal Li atoms. However, with N2O the LiO product was observed in contrast to thermal Li atom reactions. Excess kinetic energy in the laser evaporated Li atoms provided activation energy for the abstraction reaction. In addition the extremely large yield of O4− observed in O2 experiments provides evidence for photoelectron emission from the lithium metal surface.