Autocatalytic Surface Hydroxylation of MgO(100) Terrace Sites Observed Under Ambient Conditions
We have investigated the reaction of water vapor with the MgO(100) surface using ambient pressure X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (AP-XPS), which permits the study of the chemical composition of the MgO/water vapor interface at p(H{sub 2}O) in the Torr range. Water dissociation on thin MgO(100) films of 4-5.5 monolayers (ML) grown on Ag(100) was studied under isobaric conditions at p(H{sub 2}O) ranging from 0.005 to 0.5 Torr and temperatures from 380 to -10 C, up to a maximum relative humidity (RH) of 20%. At RH < 0.01% dissociative adsorption occurs only at defect sites (0.08 ML), while terrace sites remain unreactive toward water dissociation. In the range 0.01 < RH < 0.1% there is an abrupt onset of dissociative adsorption at terrace sites which saturates at 1 ML at 0.1% RH, and is accompanied by an increase in molecular water adsorption. At 20% RH there is 1 ML of molecularly adsorbed water interacting with a fully hydroxylated interface on MgO(100). The observed onset of hydroxylation near 0.01% RH is suggested to be due to water molecules aggregating at the surface, leading to an autocatalytic dissociation of water at MgO(100) terrace sites.
- Research Organization:
- Brookhaven National Lab. (BNL), Upton, NY (United States). Center for Functional Nanomaterials (CFN)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- DOE - OFFICE OF SCIENCE
- DOE Contract Number:
- DE-AC02-98CH10886
- OSTI ID:
- 1024335
- Report Number(s):
- BNL-94553-2011-JA; R&D Project: NC-001; KC020401H; TRN: US201119%%305
- Journal Information:
- Journal of Physical Chemistry C, Vol. 115, Issue 26; ISSN 1932-7447
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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