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Dynamic Surface Restructuring in Cu(Au) Alloys Driven by Oxygen-Mediated Au Mobility.
Dongxiang Wu1, Xianhu Sun1, Lianfeng Zou1
1Department of Mechanical Engineering & Materials Science and Engineering Program, State University of New York, Binghamton, New York 13902, United States.
The Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters
|July 9, 2025
Summary
Alloying elements dynamically alter metal surface structures under reactive conditions. In copper-gold alloys, gold atoms move to the subsurface during oxidation, creating reversible hill-and-valley surface patterns.
Area of Science:
- Surface science
- Materials science
- Nanotechnology
Background:
- Alloying significantly impacts metal surface properties.
- Atomic-level understanding of alloying element influence on surface dynamics under reactive conditions is lacking.
Purpose of the Study:
- To elucidate the atomic-level mechanisms of alloying elements influencing surface structure dynamics in reactive environments.
- To investigate the dynamic surface restructuring of copper-gold (Cu(Au)) alloys in oxidizing conditions.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a Cu(Au) model system in oxidizing environments.
- Observed oxygen-induced surface transformations at the atomic level.
Main Results:
- Revealed a dynamic transformation of the topmost atomic layer into a hill-and-valley morphology.
- Demonstrated reversible switching between undulated and flattened surface states.
- Identified cyclical gold (Au) atom mobility (subsurface retreat and surface resegregation) driven by oxygen adsorption/desorption cycles.
Conclusions:
- Established a feedback loop where surface restructuring is coupled to oxygen pressure changes.
- Provided a general framework for understanding atomic-scale surface restructuring in alloys driven by differential chemical reactivity.
- Highlighted implications for designing corrosion-resistant coatings and tunable catalytic nanostructures.
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