Observation and destruction of an elusive adsorbate with STM: O2/TiO2
Abstract
When a slightly defective rutile TiO2(110) surface is exposed to O2 at elevated temperatures, the molecule dissociates at defects, filling O vacancies () and creating O adatoms () on rows. The adsorption of molecular O2 at low temperatures has remained controversial. Low-Temperature Scanning Tunneling Microscopy (LT-STM) of O2, dosed on TiO2(110) at a sample temperature of ≈ 100 K and imaged at 17 K, shows a molecular precursor at as a faint change in contrast. The adsorbed O2 easily dissociates during the STM measurements, and formation of 's at both sides of the original is observed.
Turn this paper into a lesson
ArcXiv compiles a structured reading guide from this paper's metadata: plain-English importance, contributions, prerequisite concepts, which sections to read first, flashcards, and a quiz. Grounded in the abstract, never invented.