The mode of attack of oxygen atoms on the basal plane of graphite

Gold decoration of the basal lattice plane of graphite etched by atomic oxygen has been made possible by first desorbing the surface oxide layer on the basal plane. The formation of monolayer pits, as revealed by gold decoration, shows that anisotropy does exist, i.e., carbon atoms are preferentially attacked by atomic oxygen in the direction of a axes, rather than the direction of c axis. The monolayer pits are initiated from lattice vacancies which are continually formed by atomic oxygen. The monolayer pits created by atomic oxygen are, unlike the pits by O₂ which are circular, hexagonal in shape, the sides of which are composed of 〈101l〉 lattice planes.