Topographic nano-restructuring: sulfur dioxide adsorption on Cu(110)

Topographic changes accompanying the adsorption of SO2(g) on Cu(110) and Cu(110)-p(2 x 1)-O have been investigated with STM. On Cu(110) the disproportionation of SO,(g) into sulfur and sulfite moieties is concomitant with surface pit formation and incorporation of a stoichiometric quantity of Cu atoms into the sulfite structure. On Cu(110)-p(2 x 1)-O, SO2(g) reacts with an equal amount of Cu-O from the original oxide structure to yield a Cu(110) surface covered with an overlayer which contains an equal number of SO3 moieties and added copper atoms. These findings provide further evidence for a greater involvement of surface metal atoms during reaction. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.