Vibrational dynamics of adsorbates - Quo vadis?

► Vibrational dynamics of adsorbates occur on a femto- to picosecond timescale. ► Information on vibrational dynamics can be obtained from nonlinear optical spectroscopy, inelastic electron tunneling and surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy. ► The relative timescales of competing vibrational energy dissipation channels determine the outcome of surface reactions.