Infrared transmission spectroscopy at room temperature has shown that the equivalent of a monolayer of sulfur dioxide adsorbs on copper(ll) oxide at 20 °C forming three different surface species: chemisorbed sulfur dioxide, which was identified by a single band at 1360 cm-1; a nonplanar, chelating, sulfate group of less than C2" symmetry, identified by bands at 1200, 1140, 1050, 980, and <650 cm-1; and a sulfite group bonded to a copper atom through both the oxygen and sulfur atoms, identified by bands at 1040, 920, and 880 cm-1. Chemisorbed sulfur dioxide covered about 20% of the surface; the sulfate and sulfite covered the remaining surface in equal molar quantities. Copper(ll) oxide, pretreated in situ under vacuum at 200 °C for 1 h and then contacted with sulfur dioxide at room temperature, had most of its sulfite groups converted to sulfate on heating to 400 °C. Higher pretreatment temperature resulted In more sulfate formation relative to sulfite. The adsorption of small amounts of sulfur dioxide at 350 °C resulted in the formation of a surface sulfate. Further adsorption at 350 °C produced a bulk sulfate. The postulated surface reaction leading to sulfate formation is 2Cu2+ + 40H-+ S02 -* 2Cu+ + (S04)2-+ 2H20; that leading to sulfite formation is Cu2+ + 2(OH)" + S02 -* Cu 2++ (S03)2-+ H20.