Corrosive adsorption of Sn on the Pt(1 1 0)(1×2) surface

Room temperature deposition of Sn on the Pt(1 1 0)(1×2) surface has been studied by scanning tunnelling microscopy and core level photoelectron spectroscopy. At low coverage Sn is found in three different configurations; as mobile adatoms in the valley of the missing-row reconstruction, as 1D –Pt–Sn–Pt– alloy chains forming local Pt3Sn(1 1 0)2×2 regions and finally as 3D alloy islands. At higher coverage these islands form a platinum rich alloy film, which is dissolved in the crystal upon annealing to 600 °C.