Researchers propose that deliberately steering gold to dissociate oxygen could turn it into a highly selective catalyst for certain reactions, with future work focused on modulating surface patterns to boost catalysis.

Atomic-scale surface self-organization forms a protective pattern, explaining why gold jewelry and artifacts maintain their luster for centuries.

This rearrangement makes gold resistant to tarnish by greatly suppressing oxidation through oxygen, due to protective surface patterns.

The study suggests controlling surface atom geometry to enhance catalytic performance without needing to alloy gold with other metals or rely on nanoparticles.

Potential applications include more effective industrial oxidation catalysts and energy-related reactions, such as carbon monoxide removal and propylene oxide production, by triggering or reversing the protective surface rearrangements.

Published in Physical Review Letters by Tulane University researchers, the findings outline a new strategy for improving gold-based catalysts through manipulation of surface geometry and atom arrangement.

Computer simulations show two common gold surface types reorganize to block oxygen reactions, reducing oxidation by up to a factor of one trillion.