Formation of nitrogen oxides via NOÂ +Â O2 gas-solid reaction on cold surfaces

► We unveil that O2 adsorbed on a cold surface reacts with a very high efficiency with NO. ► NO2 is formed independently of the surface composition and morphology. ► The oxidation of NO has implications for the complex atmospheric chemistry of Antarctica. ► The reaction NO + O2 is of fundamental importance to understand of the full NO + Ox reaction scheme in astrophysics.