Cinnamaldehyde adsorption and thermal decomposition on copper surfaces

The uptake and thermal chemistry of cinnamaldehyde on Cu(110) single-crystal surfaces were characterized by temperature-programmed desorption and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Adsorption at 85 K appears to be initiated by low-temperature decomposition to form styrene, which desorbs at 190 K, followed by the sequential buildup of a molecular monolayer and then a condensed molecular film. Molecular desorption from the monolayer occurs at 410 K, corresponding to a desorption energy of approximately 98 kJ/mol, and further decomposition to produce styrene (again) and other fragmentation products is seen at 550 K. The molecular nature and the quantitation of the low-temperature uptake were corroborated by the XPS data, which also provided hints about the adsorption geometry adopted by the unsaturated aldehyde on the surface. Density functional theory calculations, used to estimate adsorption energies as a function of coverage and coordination mode, pointed to possible η¹-O binding, at least at high coverages, and to a stabilizing effect on the surface by the aromatic ring of cinnamaldehyde. Finally, coadsorption of oxygen on the surface was found to weaken the binding of cinnamaldehyde to the Cu substrate at high coverages without enhancing its uptake, but to not modify the decomposition mechanism or energetics in any significant way.