The amplitude decay of surface profiles in [1¯10] and [001] directions on (110) surfaces of Pt and Cu was compared and found to be purely exponential except for the Pt(100) [001] case. The latter was also the direction of the (1 x 2) reconstruction typical for clean Pt(110). The non-exponential decay rate observed for Pt(110) [001] was theoretically duplicated by incorporation of a large anisotropy in the surface energy of about 10% into the decay kinetics. Thus, a common cause for the (1 x 2) reconstruction and the non-exponential profile decay along the [001] azimuth could be the large anisotropy in the surface energy of Pt.

Evidence for a Relationship between the Anisotropy of Surface Energy and Surface Reconstruction - Comparison of Pt(110) and Cu(110). H.P.Bonzel, N.Freyer, E.Preuss: Physical Review Letters, 1986, 57, 1024-7