Large terraces of the (111) surface were shown to reconstruct, in the presence of a Pt gas-phase environment, at temperatures down to 400K. Lifting of the reconstruction, in the absence of Pt gas, was kinetically hindered at temperatures of up to 700K. The main features of the reconstruction network, as observed by scanning tunnelling microscopy, corresponded to those which were deduced, from X-ray scattering, for high-temperature (above 1330K) spontaneous (111) reconstruction. The parallel double corrugation lines which formed the network had basically the same structure as those seen on the reconstructed Au(111) surface.

M.Bott, M.Hohage, T.Michely, G.Comsa: Physical Review Letters, 1993, 70[10], 1489-92