Nanoscopic Structure of the Interface between Reduced TiO2–x(110) and Water Vapor

Shiraz Cherf; Jesus S. Lacasa; Ifat Kaplan-Ashiri; Ashley R. Head; Roey Ben David; Adva Ben Yaacov; Baran Eren

doi:10.1021/acs.jpcc.5c04330

Nanoscopic Structure of the Interface between Reduced TiO_2–x(110) and Water Vapor

Shiraz Cherf
, Jesus S. Lacasa
, Ifat Kaplan-Ashiri
, Ashley R. Head
, Roey Ben David
, Adva Ben Yaacov
, Baran Eren^*

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

We investigate the interaction between a reduced rutile TiO_2-x(110)-(1x4) surface and water vapor at ambient pressures using atomic force microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (AP-AFM and AP-XPS). Our results reveal that water molecules strongly interact with the reduced surface, leading to hydroxylation and localized clustering of water molecules. In defect-rich regions, AFM tip-induced restructuring causes removal of the topmost surface layer, highlighting the lowered cohesive energy of the surface atoms upon hydroxylation. These findings provide new insights into the water adsorption and restructuring mechanisms on reducible transition metal oxides, relevant for catalytic and environmental applications.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	15878-15884
Number of pages	7
Journal	Journal of Physical Chemistry C
Volume	129
Issue number	35
Early online date	20 Aug 2025
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jpcc.5c04330
Publication status	Published - 4 Sept 2025

Funding

This research was supported by the Minerva Foundation. J.S.L. acknowledges the 'la Caixa' Foundation postdoctoral fellowship. This research used ambient pressure X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy in the Proximal Probes Facility of the CFN, which is a U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science User Facility, at BNL under Contract No. DE-SC0012704.

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

Electronic, Optical and Magnetic Materials
General Energy
Physical and Theoretical Chemistry
Surfaces, Coatings and Films

Access to Document

10.1021/acs.jpcc.5c04330Licence: CC BY

Cite this

@article{50cc5c61640b419e8c9ca7cfac589ee7,

title = "Nanoscopic Structure of the Interface between Reduced TiO2–x(110) and Water Vapor",

abstract = "We investigate the interaction between a reduced rutile TiO2-x (110)-(1x4) surface and water vapor at ambient pressures using atomic force microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (AP-AFM and AP-XPS). Our results reveal that water molecules strongly interact with the reduced surface, leading to hydroxylation and localized clustering of water molecules. In defect-rich regions, AFM tip-induced restructuring causes removal of the topmost surface layer, highlighting the lowered cohesive energy of the surface atoms upon hydroxylation. These findings provide new insights into the water adsorption and restructuring mechanisms on reducible transition metal oxides, relevant for catalytic and environmental applications.",

author = "Shiraz Cherf and Lacasa, \{Jesus S.\} and Ifat Kaplan-Ashiri and Head, \{Ashley R.\} and \{Ben David\}, Roey and \{Ben Yaacov\}, Adva and Baran Eren",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2025 The Authors. Published by American Chemical Society",

year = "2025",

month = sep,

day = "4",

doi = "10.1021/acs.jpcc.5c04330",

language = "English",

volume = "129",

pages = "15878--15884",

journal = "Journal of Physical Chemistry C",

issn = "1932-7447",

publisher = "American Chemical Society",

number = "35",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Nanoscopic Structure of the Interface between Reduced TiO2–x(110) and Water Vapor

AU - Cherf, Shiraz

AU - Lacasa, Jesus S.

AU - Kaplan-Ashiri, Ifat

AU - Head, Ashley R.

AU - Ben David, Roey

AU - Ben Yaacov, Adva

AU - Eren, Baran

PY - 2025/9/4

Y1 - 2025/9/4

N2 - We investigate the interaction between a reduced rutile TiO2-x (110)-(1x4) surface and water vapor at ambient pressures using atomic force microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (AP-AFM and AP-XPS). Our results reveal that water molecules strongly interact with the reduced surface, leading to hydroxylation and localized clustering of water molecules. In defect-rich regions, AFM tip-induced restructuring causes removal of the topmost surface layer, highlighting the lowered cohesive energy of the surface atoms upon hydroxylation. These findings provide new insights into the water adsorption and restructuring mechanisms on reducible transition metal oxides, relevant for catalytic and environmental applications.

AB - We investigate the interaction between a reduced rutile TiO2-x (110)-(1x4) surface and water vapor at ambient pressures using atomic force microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (AP-AFM and AP-XPS). Our results reveal that water molecules strongly interact with the reduced surface, leading to hydroxylation and localized clustering of water molecules. In defect-rich regions, AFM tip-induced restructuring causes removal of the topmost surface layer, highlighting the lowered cohesive energy of the surface atoms upon hydroxylation. These findings provide new insights into the water adsorption and restructuring mechanisms on reducible transition metal oxides, relevant for catalytic and environmental applications.

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105015575471

U2 - 10.1021/acs.jpcc.5c04330

DO - 10.1021/acs.jpcc.5c04330

M3 - Article

SN - 1932-7447

VL - 129

SP - 15878

EP - 15884

JO - Journal of Physical Chemistry C

JF - Journal of Physical Chemistry C

IS - 35

ER -