Surface reorganization accompanying the formation of sulfite and sulfate by reaction of sulfur dioxide with oxygen on Ag(111)

Abstract

On the Ag (111) -p (4×4) -O surface SO2 (g) reacts with oxygen according to SO2 (g) +O (a) → SO3 (a). Sulfite forms in a (2√3×2√3) R30° structure. The restructuring of the surface atoms during sulfite formation is indicative of the deconstruction of the p (4×4) -O structure. Heating the sulfite-covered surface to 700 K affects the disproportionation of SO3 to SO4 in a (4√3×√3) R30° structure accompanied by the desorption of SO2 (g) and smoothing of the surface. Continued heating beyond 700 K affects the complete decomposition of sulfate to SO2 (g) and O2 (g). © 2005 American Institute of Physics.