Badan Cansin, Heyrich Yasmine, Koper Marc T M, Juurlink Ludo B F
Leiden Institute of Chemistry, University of Leiden , 2333 CC Leiden, The Netherlands.
J Phys Chem Lett. 2016 May 5;7(9):1682-5. doi: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.6b00320. Epub 2016 Apr 20.
We study the influence of substrate structure on desorption and crystallization of water deposited at 100 K on platinum. We use ultrathin water films adsorbed to well-defined but highly corrugated Pt(211) and Pt(221) surfaces. Desorption spectra reveal variations in the wetting and subsequent layers that critically depend on step type. Crystallization is induced at much lower substrate temperatures as compared to Pt(111). The crystalline ice (CI)-like layer is also significantly more stable on stepped surfaces as evidenced by a higher desorption energy. Crystallinity of the CI-like layers is maintained over a thickness that varies strongly with step type.
