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Photoemission Electron Microscopy of TiO2 Anatase Films Embedded with Rutile Nanocrystals

✍ Scribed by G. Xiong; R. Shao; T. C. Droubay; A. G. Joly; K. M. Beck; S. A. Chambers; W. P. Hess


Publisher
John Wiley and Sons
Year
2007
Tongue
English
Weight
373 KB
Volume
17
Category
Article
ISSN
1616-301X

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✦ Synopsis


Abstract

Photoemission electron microscopy (PEEM) excited by X‐ray and UV sources is used to investigate epitaxial anatase thin films with embedded rutile nanocrystals, a model system for the study of heterocatalysis on mixed‐phase TiO~2~. Both excitation sources show distinct contrast between the two TiO~2~ phases; however, the contrast is reversed. Rutile nanocrystals appear darker than the anatase film in X‐ray PEEM images but brighter in UV‐PEEM images. We observe that topography‐induced contrast is dominant in X‐ray PEEM imaging, whereas work function and density‐of‐state‐based contrast, dominates in UV‐PEEM. This assertion is confirmed by UPS and conducting AFM data that shows the rutile work function to be 0.2 eV lower and a greater occupied valence band density‐of‐states in rutile (100) than in anatase (001). Since the boundaries between rutile nanocrystals and the anatase film are clearly resolved, these results indicate that PEEM studies of excited state dynamics and heterocatalysis are possible at chemically intriguing mixed‐phase TiO~2~ interfaces and grain boundaries.