Role of Structural Fluctuation in a Surface Reaction Studied by Scanning Tunneling Microscopy: TheCO+OCO2Clean-Off Reaction on Ag(110)-(2×1)-O

Abstract
The kinetics of the clean-off reaction of O adatoms by CO on Ag(110)-(2x1)-O is investigated by scanning tunneling microscopy. The reaction is accelerated in the lower O coverage range where AgO chains with (nx1) (n> or =4) configurations show significant structural fluctuation. Simulations based on the Ising model are used to provide a quantitative understanding of the acceleration, which originates from the dynamical formation of active O adatoms by fluctuation of AgO chains.