Adsorption of dicyanoaurate I/ ions on highly oriented pyrolytic graphite

The adsorption of dicyanoaurate I. onto the surface of activated carbon is the basis of modern techniques for gold extraction. The process is very efficient and has been the major factor in improving the productivity of the gold mining industry over the last 20 years. This paper describes a study of the adsorption of Au CN.y2 onto highly oriented pyrolytic graphite HOPG.by in-situ scanning tunnelling microscopy STM.. The STM images reveal that the Au CN.y2 adsorbs along step edges of HOPG in the presence of Ca2q ions. q1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.