Surface composition of native gold and Ag/Au alloys

The surface composition of Ag/Au alloys has been studied by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Surface segregation of Ag is observed, particularly for alloys having low Ag content. The content of Ag in the first surface monolayer is in accordance with data from ion scattering and with a theoretical model for segregation in ordered solutions. The surface of native gold was found to be enriched with silver in the case of mine gold, and the degree of segregation was significantly higher than for an alloy having similar bulk composition. The surface of mine gold taken from an oxidized zone contained less silver than did that of usual mine gold. The surface of placer gold was depleted of silver as compared to the bulk. These data show the surface composition of native gold to differ markedly from that of an alloy having the same bulk Ag content, and to depend on the genesis of the native gold sample.