Low energy electron diffraction (LEED) study of the adsorption of acetic acid and propanoic acid on Ag(111) and Pt(111)

The adsorption of acetic acid and of propanoic acid on Ag(111) and Pt(111) single crystal surfaces has been studied with LEED. Both acetic acid and propanoic acid formed two-dimensional structures in two different types of orientation on Ag(111) and propanoic acid apparently formed the same structure on graphite covered Pt(111). Neither acid formed ordered monolayers when adsorbed on clean Pt(111). The similar LEED data and physical properties of the acid molecules suggested similar structures for both acids consisting of closely packed arrays of hydrogen-bonded dimers.