Interaction of Li with atomic steps on Ru: Comparison between Ru(0 0 1) and Ru(1 0 9)

The interaction of Li with Ru was investigated on Ru(0 0 1) and Ru(1 0 9) using work function measurement, temperature-programmed desorption and low-energy electron diffraction. Strong depolarization effects for Li atoms at atomic step sites are observed, causing the dipole moment of a chemisorbed Li atom at the limit of zero coverage to decrease from 10 D to 6 D. In contrast to the (n × n) incommensurate Li structures observed on Ru(0 0 1), the Ru(1 0 9) surface does not produce any ordered Li structures. Despite these differences, the thermal desorption kinetics for Li from Ru(0 0 1) is virtually identical to that from Ru(1 0 9) at all coverages.