Ultracompact electrical double layers at TiO2(110) electrified interfaces

DOI: 10.1021/jacs.4c09911

Authors: Immad Nadeem (University College London; Diamond Light Source) , Christopher Penschke (University College London) , Ji Chen (University College London) , Xavier Torrelles (Institut de Ciència de Materials de Barcelona (CSIC)) , Axel Wilson (University College London; Diamond Light Source) , Hadeel Hussain (Diamond Light Source) , Gregory Cabailh (Sorbonne Université, CNRS, UMR 7588, Institut des NanoSciences de Paris) , Oier Bikondoa (University of Warwick; The European Synchrotron) , Jameel Imran (University College London) , Christopher Nicklin (Diamond Light Source) , Robert Lindsay (The University of Manchester) , Jorg Zegenhagen (Diamond Light Source) , Matthew O. Blunt (University College London) , Angelos Michaelides (University College London) , Geoff Thornton (University College London)
Co-authored by industrial partner: No

Type: Journal Paper
Journal: Journal Of The American Chemical Society

State: Published (Approved)
Published: November 2024
Diamond Proposal Number(s): 11345 , 26045

Abstract: Metal-oxide aqueous interfaces are important in areas as varied as photocatalysis and mineral reforming. Crucial to the chemistry at these interfaces is the structure of the electrical double layer formed when anions or cations compensate for the charge arising from adsorbed H+ or OH–. This has proven extremely challenging to determine at the atomic level. In this work, we use a surface science approach, involving atomic level characterization, to determine the structure of pH-dependent model electrified interfaces of TiO2(110) with HCl and NaOH using surface X-ray diffraction (SXRD). A comparison with ab initio molecular dynamics calculations reveals the formation of surprisingly compact double layers. These involve inner-sphere bound Cl and Na ions, with respectively H+ and O–/OH– in the contact layer. Their exceptionally high electric fields will play a key role in determining the chemical reactivity.

Diamond Keywords: Semiconductors

Subject Areas: Materials, Chemistry, Physics


Instruments: I07-Surface & interface diffraction

Added On: 28/11/2024 09:01

Documents:
nadeem-et-al-2024-ultracompact-electrical-double-layers-at-tio2%28110%29-electrified-interfaces.pdf

Discipline Tags:

Surfaces Physics Physical Chemistry Chemistry interfaces and thin films

Technical Tags:

Diffraction Surface X-ray Diffraction