Electronic structure of ultrathin ordered iron oxide films grown onto Pt(111)

Tunable electronic structure of heterosite FePO4: an in-depth structural study and polaron transport

The development of better electrode materials for lithium-ion batteries has been intensively investigated both due to their fundamental scientific aspects as well as their usefulness in technological applications. The present technological development of rechargeable batteries is hindered by fundamental challenges, such as low energy and power density, short lifespan, and sluggish charge transport kinetics. Among the various anode materials proposed, heterosite FePO4 (h-FP) has been found to intercalate lithium and sodium ion hosts to obtain novel rechargeable batteries. The h-FP has been obtained via the delithiation of triphylite LiFePO4 (LFP), and its structural and electronic properties have been investigated with different crystallite sizes. The synchrotron XRD measurements followed by Rietveld refinement analysis reveal lattice expansion upon the reduction of crystallite size of h-FP. In addition, the decrease in the crystallite size enhances surface energy contributions, thereby creating more oxygen vacancies up to 2% for 21 nm crystallite size. The expansion in the lattice parameters is reflected in the vibrational properties of the h-FP structure, where the red-shift has been observed in the characteristic modes upon the reduction of crystallite size. The local environment of the transition metal ion and its bonding characteristics have been elucidated through soft X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) with the effect of crystallite size. XAS unequivocally reveals the valence state of iron 3d electrons near the Fermi level, which is susceptible to local lattice distortion and uncovers the detailed information on the evolution of electronic states with crystallite size. The observed local lattice distortion has been considered to be as a result of the decrease in the level of covalency between the Fe-3d and O-2p states. Further, we demonstrate the structural advantages of nanosized h-FP on the transport properties, where an enhancement in the polaronic conductivity with decreasing crystallite size has been observed. The polaronic conduction mechanism has been analyzed and discussed on the basis of the Mott model of polaron conduction along with an insightful analysis on the role of the electronic structure. The present study provides spectroscopic results on the anode material that reveal the evolution of electronic states for fingerprinting, understanding, and optimizing it for advanced rechargeable battery operations.

Ferroelectric photovoltaic response engineered by lattice strain derived from local metal-ion dipoles

An unfavorable inverse relationship between polarization, bandgap, and leakage always limits the ferroelectric photovoltaic performances. This work proposes a strategy of lattice strain engineering different from traditional lattice distortion by introducing a (Mg_2/3Nb_1/3)³⁺ ion group into the B site of BiFeO₃ films to construct local metal-ion dipoles. A giant remanent polarization of 98 µC/cm², narrower bandgap of 2.56 eV, and the decreased leakage current by nearly two orders of magnitude are synchronously obtained in the BiFe_0.94(Mg_2/3Nb_1/3)_0.06O₃ film by engineering the lattice strain, breaking through the inverse relationship among these three. Thereby, the open-circuit voltage and the short-circuit current of the photovoltaic effect reach as high as 1.05 V and 2.17 µA /cm², respectively, showing an excellent photovoltaic response. This work provides an alternative strategy to enhance ferroelectric photovoltaic performances by lattice strain derived from local metal-ion dipoles.

Polar Magnetism Above 600 K with High Adaptability in Perovskite Oxides

High magnetic order temperature, sustainable polar insulating state, and tolerance to device integrations are substantial advantages for applications in next-generation spintronics. However, engineering such functionality in a single-phase system remains a challenge owing to the contradicted chemical and electronic requirements for polar nature and magnetism, especially with an ordering state highly above room temperature. Perovskite-related oxides with unique flexibility allow electron-unpaired subsystems to merge into the polar lattice to induce magnetic interactions, combined with their inherent asymmetry, thereby promising polar magnet design. Herein, by atomic-level composition assembly, a family of Ti/Fe co-occupied perovskite oxide films Pb(Ti_1-x,Fe_x)O₃ (PFT(x)) with a Ruddlesden-Popper superstructure are successfully synthesized on several different substrates, demonstrating exceptional adaptability to different integration conditions. Furthermore, second-harmonic generation measurements convince the symmetry-breaking polar character. Notably, a ferromagnetic ground state up to 600 K and a steady insulating state far beyond room temperature were achieved simultaneously in these films. This strategy of constructing layered modular superlattices in perovskite oxides could be extended to other strongly correlated systems for triggering nontrivial quantum physical phenomena.

B-Site Fe/Re Cation-Ordering Control and Its Influence on the Magnetic Properties of Sr2FeReO6 Oxide Powders

Double-perovskite oxide Sr₂FeReO₆ (SFRO) powders have promising applications in spintronics due to their half-metallicity and high Curie temperature. However, their magnetic properties suffer from the existence of anti-site defects (ASDs). Here, we report on the synthesis of SFRO powders by the sol-gel process. The B-site cationic ordering degree (η) and its influence on magnetic properties are investigated. The results demonstrate that the η value is well controlled by the annealing temperature, which is as high as 85% when annealing at 1100 °C. However, the annealing atmospheres (e.g., N₂ or Ar) have little effect on the η value. At room temperature, the SFRO powders crystallize in a tetragonal crystal structure (space group I4/m). They have a relatively uniform morphology and the molar ratios of Sr, Fe, and Re elements are close to 2:1:1. XPS spectra identified that Sr, Fe, and Re elements presented as Sr²⁺, Fe³⁺, and Re⁵⁺ ions, respectively, and the O element presented as O^2-. The SFRO samples annealed at 1100 °C in N₂, exhibiting the highest saturation magnetization (M_S = 2.61 μ_B/f.u. at 2 K), which was ascribed to their smallest ASD content (7.45%) with an anti-phase boundary-like morphology compared to those annealed at 1000 °C (ASDs = 10.7%) or 1200 °C (ASDs = 10.95%).

Liquid-Gas Interface of Iron Aqueous Solutions and Fenton Reagents

Fenton chemistry, involving the reaction between Fe²⁺ and hydrogen peroxide, is well-known due to its applications in the mineralization of extremely stable molecules. Different mechanisms, influenced by the reaction conditions and the solvation sphere of iron ions, influence the fate of such reactions. Despite the huge amount of effort spent investigating such processes, a complete understanding is still lacking. This work combines photoelectron spectroscopy and theoretical calculations to investigate the solvation and reactivity of Fe²⁺ and Fe³⁺ ions in aqueous solutions. The reaction with hydrogen peroxide, both in homogeneous Fenton reagents and at the liquid-vapor interface, illustrates that both ions are homogeneously distributed in solutions and exhibit an asymmetric octahedral coordination to water in the case of Fe²⁺. No indications of differences in the reaction mechanism between the liquid-vapor interface and the bulk of the solutions have been found, suggesting that Fe³⁺ and hydroxyl radicals are the only intermediates.

X-ray photoemission studies of the interaction of metals and metal ions with DNA

X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) has been used to study the interactions of heavy metal ions with DNA with some success. Surface sensitivity and selectivity of XPS are advantageous for identifying and characterizing the chemical and elemental structure of the DNA to metal interaction. This review summarizes the status of what amounts to a large part of the photoemission investigations of biomolecule interactions with metals and offers insight into the mechanism for heavy metal-bio interface interactions. Specifically, it is seen that metal interaction with DNA results in conformational changes in the DNA structure.

Adsorption-based membranes for air separation using transition metal oxides

In this work, we use computational modeling to examine the viability of adsorption-based pore-flow membranes for separating gases when a purely size-based separation strategy is ineffective. Using molecular dynamics simulations of O2 and N2, we model permeation through a nanoporous graphene membrane. Permeation is assumed to follow a five-step adsorption-based pathway, with desorption being the rate-limiting step. Using this model, we observe increased selectivity between O2 and N2, resulting from increased adsorption energy differences. We explore the limits of this strategy, providing an initial set of constraints that need to be satisfied to allow for selectivity. Finally, we provide a preliminary exploration of some transition metal oxides that appear to satisfy those conditions. Using density functional theory calculations, we confirm that these oxides possess adsorption energies needed to operate as adsorption-based pore-flow membranes. These adsorption energies provide a suitable motivation to examine adsorption-based pore-flow membranes as a viable option for air separation.

Spinodal Decomposition-Driven Endurable Resistive Switching in Perovskite Oxides

Common pursuits of developing nanometric logic and neuromorphic applications have motivated intensive research studies into low-dimensional resistive random-access memory (RRAM) materials. However, fabricating resistive switching medium with inherent stability and homogeneity still remains a bottleneck. Herein, we report a self-assembled uniform biphasic system, comprising low-resistance 3 nm-wide (Bi_0.4,La_0.6)FeO_3-δ nanosheets coherently embedded in a high-resistance (Bi_0.2,La_0.8)FeO_3-δ matrix, which were spinodally decomposed from an overall stoichiometry of the (Bi_0.24,La_0.76)FeO_3-δ parent phase, as a promising nanocomposite to be a stable and endurable RRAM medium. The Bi-rich nanosheets accommodating high concentration of oxygen vacancies as corroborated by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and electron energy loss spectroscopy function as fast carrier channels, thus enabling an intrinsic electroforming-free character. Surficial electrical state and resistive switching properties are investigated using multimodal scanning probe microscopy techniques and macroscopic I-V measurements, showing high on/off ratio (∼10³) and good endurance (up to 1.6 × 10⁴ cycles). The established spinodal decomposition-driven phase-coexistence BLFO system demonstrates the merits of stability, uniformity, and endurability, which is promising for further application in RRAM devices.

Size induced structural changes in maricite-NaFePO4: an in-depth study by experiment and simulations

Rechargeable batteries based on the most abundant elements, such as sodium and iron, have a great potential in the development of cost effective sodium ion batteries for large scale energy storage devices. We report, for the first time, crystallite size dependent structural investigations on maricite-NaFePO₄ through X-ray diffraction, X-ray absorption spectroscopy and theoretical simulations. Rietveld refinement analysis on the X-ray diffraction data reveals that a decrease in the unit cell parameters leads to volume contraction upon reduction in the crystallite size. Further, the atomic multiplet simulations on X-ray absorption spectra provide unequivocally a change in the site symmetry of transition metal ions. The high resolution oxygen K-edge spectra reveal a substantial change in the bonding character with the reduction of crystallite size, which is the fundamental cause for the change in the unit cell parameters of maricite-NaFePO₄. In parallel, we performed first-principles density functional theory (DFT) calculations on maricite-NaFePO₄ with different sodium ion vacancy concentrations. The obtained structural parameters are in excellent agreement with the experimental observations on the mesostructured maricite-NaFePO₄. The volumetric changes with respect to crystallite size are related to the compressive strain, resulting in the improvement in the electronic diffusivity. The nano-crystalline maricite-NaFePO₄ with improved kinetics will open a new avenue for its usage as a cathode material in sodium ion batteries.

Voltage-induced Interface Reconstruction and Electrical Instability of the Ferromagnet-Semiconductor Device

Using x-ray magnetic spectroscopy with in-situ electrical characterizations, we investigated the effects of external voltage on the spin-electronic and transport properties at the interface of a Fe/ZnO device. Layer-, element-, and spin-resolved information of the device was obtained by cross-tuning of the x-ray mode and photon energy, when voltage was applied. At the early stage of the operation, the device exhibited a low-resistance state featuring robust Fe-O bonds. However, the Fe-O bonds were broken with increasing voltage. Breaking of the Fe-O bonds caused the formation of oxygen vacancies and resulted in a high-resistance state. Such interface reconstruction was coupled to a charge-transfer effect via Fe-O hybridization, which suppressed/enhanced the magnetization/coercivity of Fe electronically. Nevertheless, the interface became stabilized with the metallic phase if the device was continuously polarized. During this stage, the spin-polarization of Fe was enhanced whereas the coercivity was lowered by voltage, but changes of both characteristics were reversible. This stage is desirable for spintronic device applications, owing to a different voltage-induced electronic transition compared to the first stage. The study enabled a straightforward detection of the spin-electronic state at the ferromagnet-semiconductor interface in relation to the transport and reversal properties during operation process of the device.

Novel and facile synthesis of Ba-doped BiFeO3 nanoparticles and enhancement of their magnetic and photocatalytic activities for complete degradation of benzene in aqueous solution

In this work, Bi1-x Bax FeO3 (x=0.05, 0.1 and 0.2mol%) multiferroic materials as visible-light photocatalysts were successfully synthesized via a simple and rapid sol-gel method, at a low temperature and with rapid calcination. Ba loading brought about a distorted structure of BiFeO3 magnetic nanoparticles (BFO MNPs) consisting of small, randomly oriented and non-uniform grains, leading to increased surface area and improved magnetic and photocatalytic activities. Doping of Ba(2+) into pure BFO (Bi1-x Bax FeO3, x=0.2mol%) greatly increased magnetic saturation to 3.0emu/g and significantly decreased the band-gap energy to 1.79eV, as compared to 2.1emu/g and 2.1eV, respectively, for pure BFO. Bi1-xBa xFeO3 of x=0.2mol% exhibited the greatest photocatalytic degradation effect after 60min of visible light irradiation, and reached 97% benzene removal efficiency, leading to production of a high concentration of carbon dioxide (CO2), with 93% and 82% reductions in chemical oxygen demand (COD) and total organic carbon (TOC), respectively. The identified major intermediate products of photodegradation enabled prediction of the proposed benzene degradation pathway. The enhanced photocatalytic activity of benzene removal is due to both mechanisms, photocatalytic and photo-Fenton catalytic degradation.

Implications of orbital hybridization on the electronic properties of doped quantum dots: the case of Cu:CdSe

This paper investigates how chemical dopants affect the electronic properties of CdSe quantum dots (QDs) and why a model that incorporates the concepts of orbital hybridization must be used to understand these properties. Extended X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy measurements show that copper dopants in CdSe QDs occur primarily through a statistical doping mechanism. Ultraviolet photoemission spectroscopy (UPS) experiments provide a detailed insight on the valence band (VB) structure of doped and undoped QDs. Using UPS measurements, we are able to observe photoemission from the Cu d-levels above VB maximum of the QDs which allows a complete picture of the energy band landscape of these materials. This information provides insights into many of the physical properties of doped QDs, including the highly debated near-infrared photoluminescence in Cu doped CdSe QDs. We show that all our results point to a common theme of orbital hybridization in Cu doped CdSe QDs which leads to optically and electronically active states below the conduction band minimum. Our model is supported from current-voltage measurements of doped and undoped materials, which exhibit Schottky to Ohmic behavior with Cu doping, suggestive of a tuning of the lowest energy states near the Fermi level.

Two-Dimensional Iron Tungstate: A Ternary Oxide Layer With Honeycomb Geometry

The exceptional physical properties of graphene have sparked tremendous interests toward two-dimensional (2D) materials with honeycomb structure. We report here the successful fabrication of 2D iron tungstate (FeWO _x ) layers with honeycomb geometry on a Pt(111) surface, using the solid-state reaction of (WO₃)₃ clusters with a FeO(111) monolayer on Pt(111). The formation process and the atomic structure of two commensurate FeWO _x phases, with (2 × 2) and (6 × 6) periodicities, have been characterized experimentally by combination of scanning tunneling microscopy (STM), low-energy electron diffraction (LEED), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and temperature-programmed desorption (TPD) and understood theoretically by density functional theory (DFT) modeling. The thermodynamically most stable (2 × 2) phase has a formal FeWO₃ stoichiometry and corresponds to a buckled Fe²⁺/W⁴⁺ layer arranged in a honeycomb lattice, terminated by oxygen atoms in Fe-W bridging positions. This 2D FeWO₃ layer has a novel structure and stoichiometry and has no analogues to known bulk iron tungstate phases. It is theoretically predicted to exhibit a ferromagnetic electronic ground state with a Curie temperature of 95 K, as opposed to the antiferromagnetic behavior of bulk FeWO₄ materials.

Sucrose-templated nanoporous BiFeO3 for promising magnetically recoverable multifunctional environment-purifying applications: adsorption and photocatalysis

​Exhibited high magnetic performance (M_s = 6.37 emu g⁻¹) and a favorable magnetic recycling ratio, nanoporous BiFeO₃ materials can be regarded as a candidate for promising recoverable multifunctional environment-purifying applications in the future.

Insight into bio-metal interface formation in vacuo: interplay of S-layer protein with copper and iron

The mechanisms of interaction between inorganic matter and biomolecules, as well as properties of resulting hybrids, are receiving growing interest due to the rapidly developing field of bionanotechnology. The majority of potential applications for metal-biohybrid structures require stability of these systems under vacuum conditions, where their chemistry is elusive, and may differ dramatically from the interaction between biomolecules and metal ions in vivo. Here we report for the first time a photoemission and X-ray absorption study of the formation of a hybrid metal-protein system, tracing step-by-step the chemical interactions between the protein and metals (Cu and Fe) in vacuo. Our experiments reveal stabilization of the enol form of peptide bonds as the result of protein-metal interactions for both metals. The resulting complex with copper appears to be rather stable. In contrast, the system with iron decomposes to form inorganic species like oxide, carbide, nitride, and cyanide.

Unraveling the edge structures of platinum(111)-supported ultrathin FeO islands: the influence of oxidation state

We used high-resolution scanning tunneling microscopy to study the structure of ultrathin FeO islands grown on Pt(111). Our focus is particularly on the edges of the FeO islands that are important in heterogeneous catalysis, as they host the active sites on inversed catalysts. To imitate various reaction environments we studied pristine, oxidized, and reduced FeO islands. Oxidation of the FeO islands by O2 exposure led to the formation of two types of O adatom dislocations and to a restructuring of the FeO islands, creating long O-rich edges and few short Fe-terminated edges. In contrast, reducing the FeO islands led to a dominance of Fe-rich edges and the occurrence of few and short O-rich edges. In addition, for reducing conditions we observed the formation of O vacancy dislocations on the FeO islands. Through the identification of O adatom and O vacancy dislocations known from closed ultrathin FeO films and geometrical considerations we unraveled the atomic structure of the predominant FeO boundaries of pristine, oxidized, and reduced FeO islands. The results indicate an astonishing flexibility of the FeO islands on Pt(111), since the predominant edge termination and the island shape depend strongly on the preparation conditions.

Structural analysis of FeO(1 1 1)/Ag(0 0 1): undulation of hexagonal oxide monolayers due to square lattice metal substrates

Iron oxide monolayers are grown on Ag(0 0 1) via reactive molecular beam epitaxy (metal deposition in oxygen atmosphere). The monolayer shows FeO stoichiometry as concluded from x-ray photoemission spectra. Both low energy electron diffraction as well as scanning tunneling microscopy demonstrate that the FeO layer has a quasi-hexagonal (1 1 1) structure although deposited on a surface with square symmetry. Compared to bulk values, the FeO(1 1 1) monolayer is unidirectionally expanded by 3.4% in [Formula: see text] directions while bulk values are maintained in [Formula: see text] directions. In [Formula: see text] directions, this lattice mismatch between FeO(1 1 1) monolayer and Ag(0 0 1) causes a commensurate undulation of the FeO monolayer where 18 atomic rows of the FeO(1 1 1) monolayer match 17 atomic rows of the Ag(0 0 1) substrate. In [Formula: see text] directions, however, the FeO(1 1 1) monolayer has an incommensurate structure.

Photoelectrochemical response and electronic structure analysis of mono-dispersed cuboid-shaped Bi2Fe4O9 crystals with near-infrared absorption

The [001]-oriented cuboid-shaped Bi₂Fe₄O₉ with an indirect bandgap of 1.29 eV and strong absorption in all solar spectrum shows distinct photocurrent as photoanode.

Room temperature ferromagnetism with large magnetic moment at low field in rare-earth-doped BiFeO₃ thin films

Thin films of rare earth (RE)-doped BiFeO3 (where RE=Sm, Ho, Pr and Nd) were grown on LaAlO3 substrates by using the pulsed laser deposition technique. All the films show a single phase of rhombohedral structure with space group R3c. The saturated magnetization in the Ho- and Sm-doped films is much larger than the values reported in the literature, and is observed at quite a low field of 0.2 T. For Ho and Sm doping, the magnetization increases as the film becomes thinner, suggesting that the observed magnetism is mostly due to a surface effect. In the case of Nd doping, even though the thin film has a large magnetic moment, the mechanism seems to be different.

Adsorption of fatty acids on iron (hydr)oxides from aqueous solutions

The interaction of iron (hydr)oxides with fatty acids is related to many industrial and natural processes. To resolve current controversies about the adsorption configurations of fatty acids and the conditions of the maximum hydrophobicity of the minerals, we perform a detailed study of the adsorption of sodium laurate (dodecanoate) on 150 nm hematite (α-Fe(2)O(3)) particles as a model system. The methods used include in situ FTIR spectroscopy, ex situ X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), measurements of the adsorption isotherm and contact angle, as well as the density functional theory (DFT) calculations. We found that the laurate adlayer is present as a mixture of inner-sphere monodentate mononuclear (ISMM) and outer-sphere (OS) hydration shared complexes independent of the solution pH. Protonation of the OS complexes does not influence the conformational order of the surfactant tails. One monolayer, which is filled through the growth of domains and is reached at the micellization/precipitation edge of laurate, makes the particles superhydrophobic. These results contradict previous models of the fatty acid adsorption and suggest new interpretation of literature data. Finally, we discovered that the fractions of both the OS laurate and its molecular form increase in D(2)O, which can be used for interpreting complex spectra. We discuss shortcomings of vibrational spectroscopy in determining the interfacial coordination of carboxylate groups. This work advances the current understanding of the oxide-carboxylate interactions and the research toward improving performance of fatty acids as surfactants, dispersants, lubricants, and anticorrosion reagents.

General synthesis of carbon nanocages and their adsorption of toxic compounds from cigarette smoke

Carbon nanocages (CNCs) have been synthesized through a simple approach using different alcohols and ferrous oxalate as reactants at 550 °C for 12 h in a sealed autoclave. The lengths of the sides of the CNCs are about 200-350 nm and the wall thicknesses are about 10-15 nm. The formation mechanism of the CNCs is also discussed, based on the experimental results. These CNCs show excellent removal efficiency for phenolic compounds, ammonia, and total particulate matter from cigarette smoke. The adsorption capability of CNCs prepared from ethanol is much higher than that of other samples. For example, the efficiency of 5 mg CNCs (ethanol) for removing the six phenolic compounds p-dihydroxybenzene, m-dihydroxybenzene, o-dihydroxybenzene, phenol, m-cresol, and o-cresol can reach 57.31%, 62.25%, 65.58%, 75.95%, 54.34% and 59.43%, respectively, while that of the commercial activated carbon (5 mg) can only reach 29.02%, 33.93%, 35.00%, 36.00%, 20.33% and 36.19%, respectively, under the same conditions.

Toward the ultimate limit of phase change in Ge(2)Sb(2)Te(5)

The limit to which the phase change memory material Ge(2)Sb(2)Te(5) can be scaled toward the smallest possible memory cell is investigated using structural and optical methodologies. The encapsulation material surrounding the Ge(2)Sb(2)Te(5) has an increasingly dominant effect on the material's ability to change phase, and a profound increase in the crystallization temperature is observed when the Ge(2)Sb(2)Te(5) layer is less than 6 nm thick. We have found that the increased crystallization temperature originates from compressive stress exerted from the encapsulation material. By minimizing the stress, we have maintained the bulk crystallization temperature in Ge(2)Sb(2)Te(5) films just 2 nm thick.

Analysis of extraterrestrial particles using monochromated electron energy-loss spectroscopy

A monochromated (scanning) transmission electron microscope was used to analyze individual sub-micron grains within interplanetary dust particles (IDP). Using low-loss and core-loss electron energy-loss spectroscopy, we analyzed fluid and gas inclusions within vesiculated alumosilicate grains. It is shown that nanometer-sized vesicles contain predominantly molecular oxygen (O(2)) beside a small fraction of H(2)O. Low-loss spectra reveal the Schumann-Runge continuum peaking at 8.6 eV and absorption bands reflecting vibrational excitation states of O(2) molecules between the first (12.1 eV) and second (16.1 eV) ionization energy. The presence of oxygen gas is supported by the corresponding oxygen K-edge fine structure. The valence state of Fe in iron-oxide within the IDP was also studied. Low-loss spectra provide qualitative information about the oxidation state of iron consistent with the Fe(2+)/Fe(3+) ratio quantitatively derived from the Fe L(2,3) edge.

Molecular-Level Understanding of the Catalytic Cycle of Dehydrogenation of Ethylbenzene to Styrene over Iron Oxide-Based Catalyst

Dehydrogenation of ethylbenzene (EB) to styrene over iron oxide-based catalyst is an important industrial catalytic process. A great deal of insight into this reaction has been accomplished by surface science studies of the model catalysts. However, molecular understanding still lacks in the removal of the resultant hydrogen from the oxide surface. Employing gas-phase atomic hydrogen, we successfully prepared hydroxyls on an alpha-Fe2O3(0001) film with biphase surface structure under ultrahigh-vacuum conditions. Upon heating, hydroxyls react to form hydrogen and water, the latter of which results in the partial reduction of Fe2O3. These results add important insight into the complete understanding of the catalytic cycle of dehydrogenation of ethylbenzene to styrene over iron oxide-based catalyst.

Water Adsorption, Desorption, and Clustering on FeO(111)

The adsorption of water on FeO(111) is investigated using temperature programmed desorption (TPD) and infrared reflection absorption spectroscopy (IRAS). Well-ordered 2 ML thick FeO(111) films are grown epitaxially on a Pt(111) substrate. Water adsorbs molecularly on FeO(111) and desorbs with a well resolved monolayer peak. IRAS measurements as a function of coverage are performed for water deposited at 30 and 135 K. For all coverages (0.2 ML and greater), the adsorbed water exhibits significant hydrogen bonding. Differences in IRAS spectra for water adsorbed at 30 and 135 K are subtle but suggest that water adsorbed at 135 K is well ordered. Monolayer nitrogen TPD spectra from water covered FeO(111) surfaces are used to investigate the clustering of the water as a function of deposition or annealing temperature. Temperature dependent water overlayer structures result from differences in water diffusion rates on bare FeO(111) and on water adsorbed on FeO(111). Features in the nitrogen TPD spectra allow the monolayer wetting and 2-dimensional (2D) ordering of water on FeO(111) to be followed. Voids in a partially disordered first water layer exist for water deposited below 120 K and ordered 2D islands are found when depositing water above 120 K.