Carbonate formation and decomposition on atomic oxygen precovered Au(111).

Experimental results supported by density functional theory calculations show carbonate formation and reaction on atomic oxygen precovered Au(111). Oxygen mixing is observed in temperature-programmed desorption measurements when a Au(111) precovered with 16O is exposed to isotopically labeled CO2 (C18O2). The presence of 16O18O is attributed to surface carbonate formation and decomposition at surface temperatures ranging from 77-400 K and initial oxygen coverages ranging from 0.18-2.1 ML. A reaction probability on the order of 10(-4) and an activation energy of -0.15+/- 0.08 eV are estimated for this reaction.