Publication detail

Hematite α-Fe2O3(0001) in Top and Side View: Resolving Long-Standing Controversies about Its Surface Structure

REDONDO, J. MICHALIČKA, J. KRAUSHOFER, F. FRANCESCHI, G. ŠMÍD, B. KUMAR, N. MAN, O. BLATNIK, M. WRANA, D. MALLADA, B. ŠVEC, M. PARKINSON, G. SETVÍN, M. RIVA, M. DIEBOLD, U. ČECHAL, J.

Original Title

Hematite α-Fe2O3(0001) in Top and Side View: Resolving Long-Standing Controversies about Its Surface Structure

Type

journal article in Web of Science

Language

English

Original Abstract

Hematite is a common iron oxide found in nature, and the alpha-Fe2O3(0001) plane is prevalent on the nanomaterial utilized in photo- and electrocatalytic applications. The atomic-scale structure of the surface remains controversial despite decades of study, partly because it depends on sample history as well as the preparation conditions. Here, a comprehensive study is performed using an arsenal of surface techniques (non-contact atomic force microscopy, scanning tunneling microscopy, low-energy electron diffraction, and X-ray photoemission spectroscopy) complemented by analyses of the near surface region by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy and electron energy loss spectroscopy. The results show that the so-called "bi-phase" termination forms even under highly oxidizing conditions; a (1 x 1) surface is only observed in the presence of impurities. Furthermore, it is shown that the biphase is actually a continuous layer distorted due to a mismatch with the subsurface layers, and thus not the proposed mixture of FeO(111) and alpha-Fe2O3(0001) phases. Overall, the results show how combining surface and cross-sectional imaging provides a full view that can be essential for understanding the role of the near-surface region on oxide surface properties.

Keywords

iron oxide; nc-AFM; surface structure; TEM; XPS

Authors

REDONDO, J.; MICHALIČKA, J.; KRAUSHOFER, F.; FRANCESCHI, G.; ŠMÍD, B.; KUMAR, N.; MAN, O.; BLATNIK, M.; WRANA, D.; MALLADA, B.; ŠVEC, M.; PARKINSON, G.; SETVÍN, M.; RIVA, M.; DIEBOLD, U.; ČECHAL, J.

Released

1. 11. 2023

Publisher

WILEY

Location

HOBOKEN

ISBN

2196-7350

Periodical

Advanced Materials Interfaces

Year of study

10

Number

32

State

Federal Republic of Germany

Pages count

9

URL

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/admi.202300602

BibTex

@article{BUT188696,
  author="Jesús {Redondo} and Jan {Michalička} and Florian {Kraushofer} and Giada {Franceschi} and Břetislav {Šmíd} and Nishant {Kumar} and Ondřej {Man} and Matthias {Blatnik} and Dominik {Wrana} and Benjamin {Mallada} and Martin {Švec} and Gareth S. {Parkinson} and Martin {Setvín} and Michele {Riva} and Ulrike {Diebold} and Jan {Čechal}",
  title="Hematite α-Fe2O3(0001) in Top and Side View: Resolving Long-Standing Controversies about Its Surface Structure",
  journal="Advanced Materials Interfaces",
  year="2023",
  volume="10",
  number="32",
  pages="9",
  doi="10.1002/admi.202300602",
  issn="2196-7350",
  url="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/admi.202300602"
}