Ali R. Alemozafar

Adsorption and reaction of sulfur dioxide with Cu(110) and Cu(110)-p(2×1)-O

On Cu(110)-p(2×1)-O at 300 K SO2(g) reacts stoichiometrically with O(a) to form a surface covered with both c(4×2)-SO3 and p(2×2)-SO3 structures. With heating SO2(g) evolves from the surface in distinct reaction-limited states at 384 K, 425 K, and 470 K, and the surface reverts to its initially oxidized state. On Cu(110), SO2(g) adsorbs molecularly below 300 K; upon annealing to 300 K, the sulfur dioxide disproportionates according to 3SO2(a)→S(a)+2SO3(a) with concomitant desorption of excess SO2(a). The surface formed in this manner exhibits large c(2×2)-S domains which encompass scattered c(4×2)-SO3 and p(2×2)-SO3 structures in a 1:2 coverage ratio. After being annealed to 400 K, the surface exhibits large p(2×2)-SO3 domains surrounding smaller c(4×2)-SO3 and c(2×2)-S islands. Continued heating past 400 K results in decomposition of sulfite according to SO3(a)→SO2(g)+O(a), evolving sulfur dioxide at 470 K and leaving the surface covered with atomic sulfur and oxygen. Real-time STM images show the mobili...

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

On the Ag(111)-p(4x4)-O surface SO2(g) reacts with oxygen according to SO2(g)+O(a)-->SO3(a). Sulfite forms in a (2 radical3x2 radical3)R30 degrees structure. The restructuring of the surface atoms during sulfite formation is indicative of the deconstruction of the p(4x4)-O structure. Heating the sulfite-covered surface to 700 K affects the disproportionation of SO3 to SO4 in a (4 square root of 3 x square root of 3)R30 degrees 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).