Radiation-Induced Decomposition of Water on the BeO Surface

Abstract

Radiation-induced decomposition of water in the BeO-adsorbed H₂O system at room temperature (T = 300 K) under the conditions of γ-irradiation for different times was studied by Fourier IR spectroscopy. The water adsorption onto BeO was found to occur by the molecular and dissociative mechanisms. Intermediate active products of radiation-induced heterogeneous decomposition of water, beryllium hydrides and hydroxy groups, were detected. The highest radiation-chemical yield of molecular hydrogen, G(H₂), was reached at the BeO particle size d ≤ 4 μm.