If I remember right O2 is is absorbed onto the surface, and splits apart so you end up with O on the surface. So the oxygen is much more available due to it being monoatomic.
Virtually any chemistry book will give more information. There is also information on the net: http://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/commodity/silver/ Silver's catalytic properties make it ideal for use as a catalyst in oxidation reactions; for example, the production of formaldehyde from methanol and air by means of silver screens or crystallites containing a minimum 99.95 weight-percent silver. http://www.howstuffworks.com/question159.htm http://www.carondelet.pvt.k12.ca.us/Moles/SilverStoryA.htm In its colloidal form, silver serves as a catalyst in the manufacturing of certain alcohol. http://www.cri-catalysts.com/eo-frameset.htm Ethylene Oxide (EO), one of the major building blocks of the chemical industry, is selectively formed when Ethylene and Oxygen are passed over the silver based EO catalyst. http://www.chem-eng.toronto.edu/~webmims/chrisr1.html The mechanism of ethylene epoxidation over silver has been subject to intense scrutiny and debate because understanding it may lead to improved ethylene oxide selectivity beyond the limits of current industrial catalysts (-85%) [2-5]. Different types of oxygen exist on silver, depending on adsorption conditions; these include molecular, subsurface and various forms of surface atomic oxygen, as shown in figure 1.1 and explained in detail in section 2.2.3. Their roles in ethylene epoxidation are critical, and much work has focused on this aspect. Over the last decade, basic research into ethylene epoxidation chemistry has provided solid evidence in support of an atomic oxygen mechanism [6-10]. http://www.aist.go.jp/NIMC/publication/annual97/09/09_5.html The addition of silver to TiO2-ZrO2 catalyst caused a drastic enhancement of NO reduction activity with propene. This silver additive effect was accounted for by the assumption that silver promotes the reaction of NO2 with propene to form a partially oxidized hydrocarbon, which is the rate-determining step. http://www.speclab.com/elements/silver.htm as catalyst in hydrogenation & oxidn (oxidation) http://www.sharelynx.net/Papers/SilverHistory.htm Silvers catalytic properties make it ideal for use as a catalyst in oxidation reactions; for example, the production of formaldehyde from methanol and air, catalyzed by silver screens or crystallites containing a minimum 99.95 weight-percent silver (Butts and Coxe, 1967, p. 1-15). This is an interesting use of silver to prevent foot odor: http://www.silverinstitute.org/news/pr10aug01.html There are many more if you search for them. Marshall "Jonathan B. Britten" wrote: > This is interesting. Why does silver catalyze oxidation? It attracts > oxygen molecues in the body? In jewelry, silver tarnishes (oxidizes) > rapidly, but superficially. It the same thing happening in the body? > > JBB > > Marshall Dudley wrote: > > > > Noel White wrote: > > > > > Nothing can kill a toxin=== they are neutralized=== CS kills > > > microbials. and enhances the immune system, but I know of no > > > documentation that CS neutralizes toxins. > > > > Silver is a very strong oxidizing catalyst. That means that it has the > > capability of neutralizing any toxin that is easily oxidized. The question > > is if that toxin is easily oxidized by a catalyst. > > > > Marshall > > > > -- > > The silver-list is a moderated forum for discussion of colloidal silver. > > > > Instructions for unsubscribing may be found at: http://silverlist.org > > > > To post, address your message to: silver-list@eskimo.com > > > > Silver-list archive: http://escribe.com/health/thesilverlist/index.html > > > > List maintainer: Mike Devour <mdev...@eskimo.com>
