Formation of an ordered ice layer on a thin silica film

Adsorption of water on a thin silica film grown on a Mo(112) single crystal was studied by temperature-programmed desorption, infrared reflection absorption spectroscopy, and photoelectron spectroscopy using synchrotron radiation. Water does not dissociate on the defect-free oxygen-terminated silica surface. In contrast to adsorption at 100 K, where water follows a zero-order desorption kinetics, water adsorbed at 140 K exhibits a pseudo-first-order kinetics and induces a strong blue shift of the silica phonon. Even larger spectral changes were observed for D2O adsorption. The results were rationalized in terms of the formation of an amorphous solid water film at 100 K and a crystalline ice monolayer film at 140-150 K. This film is well-ordered as revealed by low-energy electron diffraction showing a c(2 x 2) superstructure with respect to the silica substrate.