Controlling surface reactions of hydrogen atoms by the electron spin.

Authors

Hirokazu Ueta, Hiroki Nakatsu, Yusei Ohashi, Fuka Watanabe, Zhen-Dong Sun, Takahiro Ozawa, Yoshio Miura, Wilson Agerico Diño, Katsuyuki Fukutani

Published in

Nature communications. Volume 17. Issue 1. Sep 03, 2026. Epub Sep 03, 2026.

Abstract

Gas molecules possess various internal degrees of freedom. Whereas recent advances in surface dynamics have clarified the roles of translational, vibrational and rotational motion in gas-surface reactions, the effect of its electron spin on surface reactions remains poorly understood. Here, we demonstrate the spin dependence of H adsorption and abstraction reactions on a Ni surface using a spin-polarized atomic-hydrogen beam. The results indicate that H adsorption is suppressed when the H electron spin is oriented perpendicular to the magnetization direction of the Ni(111) surface. Furthermore, the same spin preference is observed for the H abstraction reaction on a D-covered surface. These findings suggest that controlling the spin orientation of molecules and surfaces by applying an external magnetic field provides a viable means to modulate surface reaction rates.

PMID:
42693147
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 04 Sep 2026.

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