O atom induced gradual deconstruction of the 23xradical3 Au(111) surface

He diffraction has been used to investigate changes in the surface morphology of reconstructed Au(111) when small quantities of O atoms are adsorbed. It is proposed that the electronegative oxygen removes charge from the surface, which causes the surface to revert to the (111) structure. The extent of this deconstruction is dependent on the initial O coverage and the surface temperature. These results further delineate and emphasize the delicate interplay of adsorbate coverage and surface structure for the oxygen-gold system, a topic of current high interest due to the remarkable and technologically relevant catalytic properties of gold interfaces and clusters spanning atomic through nanoscale dimensions.