Using Ion Spectroscopies for Unraveling Atomic-Scale Processes Relevant for Catalysis and Solid Oxide Fuel Cells


Anotation: 

Technologies such as catalysis and energy conversion schemes ultimately rely on
surface chemical processes. While, in technical materials, it is difficult to nail down
the underlying molecular-scale mechanisms, intricate insights can be obtained from
surface science investigations on appropriate model systems.
To obtain such atomic-scale information our group is investigating single-crystalline
metal oxide surfaces with Scanning Probe Microscopy (SPM). We combine imaging
with area-averaging spectroscopic methods, and find that low-energy He+ ion
scattering (LEIS or ISS) is a particularly useful complementary tool because of its high
surface sensitivity.
Using results on SrTiO3 and Fe3O4 as examples I will discuss how we combine SPM,
isotopic labeling, and ISS to understand surface reactions.

 

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