Role of Defects in Surface Chemistry on Cu2O(111)

High-resolution photoemission spectroscopy and scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) have been used to investigate defects on Cu2O(111) and their interaction with water and sulfur dioxide (SO2). Two types of point defects, i.e., oxygen and copper vacancies, are identified. Copper vacancies are believed to be the most important defects in both water and SO2 surface chemistry. Multiply coordinatively unsaturated oxygen anions (O-MCUS) such as oxygen anions adjacent to copper vacancies are believed to be adsorption sites for both water and SO2 reaction products. Water adsorption at 150 K results in both molecular and dissociated water. Molecular water leaves the surface at 180 K. At 300 K and even more at 150 K, SO2 interacts with oxygen sites at the surface forming SO3 species. However, thermal treatment up to 280 K of Cu2O(111)/SO2 prepared at 150 K renders only SO4 on the surface.