Monte Carlo study of the CO-poisoning dynamics in a model for the catalytic oxidation of CO

The poisoning dynamics of the Ziff-Gulari-Barshad [Phys. Rev. Lett. 56, 255 3 (1986)] model, for a monomer-dimer reaction, is studied by means of Monte Carlo simulations. Studies are performed within the monomer absorbing stat e and close to the coexistence point. Analysis of the average poisoning tim e (tau (p)) allows us to propose a phenomenological scaling approach in whi ch tau (p) diverges logarithmically with the lattice side and algebraically with the distance to the coexistence point. The structure of monomer clust ers during poisoning is analyzed and compared with observations at coexiste nce. (C) 2000 American Institute of Physics. [S0021-9606(00)51346-4].