Atomic oxygen adsorption on Pb(1 0 0)

We study atomic oxygen adsorption on a Pb(1 0 0) surface using density functional theory. The structures, binding energies, work function, and charge transfer of on-surface and subsurface adsorption are investigated at a range of coverages from 0.06 to 1.00 ML. The energetically favored adsorption site for on-surface adsorption is found to be a distorted hollow site for the whole coverage range studied. The distorted structures are stabilized by mixing of 6s and 6p states of lead mediated by the 2p states of oxygen. For subsurface adsorption, the sub-bridge site is found to be preferred to the sub-hollow site at low coverages, the two being nearly equal in energy at monolayer coverage. At 0.11 ML coverage, diffusion from an on-surface hollow site to a sub-bridge site is found to be barrierless, suggesting facile subsurface oxidation at low coverages. Combined on-surface and subsurface adsorption leads to the formation of a two-layer oxide structure resembling β-PbO.