The Influence of Water Vapor on the Electrochemical Shift of an Ionic Liquid Measured by Ambient Pressure X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy.

Ionic liquids (ILs) are considered to be one of the steppingstones to fabricate next generation electrochemical devices given their unique physical and chemical properties. The addition of water to ILs significantly impact electrochemical related properties including viscosity, density, conductivity, and electrochemical window. Herein we utilize ambient pressure X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (APXPS) to examine the impact of water on values of the electrochemical shift (S), which is determined by measuring changes in binding energy shifts as a function of an external bias. APXPS spectra of C 1s, O 1s and N 1s regions are examined for the IL 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate, [C4 mim][OAc], at the IL/gas interface as a function of both water vapor pressure and external bias. Results reveal that in the absence of water vapor there is an IL ohmic drop between the working electrode and quasi reference electrode, giving rise to chemical specific S values of less than one. Upon introducing water vapor, S values approach one as a function of increasing water vapor pressure, indicating a decrease in the IL ohmic drop as the IL/water mixture becomes more conductive and the potential drop is driven by the electric double layer at the electrode/IL interface.

Synthesis and Characterization of ZnO/CuO Vertically Aligned Hierarchical Tree-like Nanostructure.

Vertically aligned ZnO nanowire-based tree-like structures with CuO branches were synthesized on the basis of a multistep seed-mediated hydrothermal approach. The nanotrees form a p-n junction at the branch/stem interface that facilitates charge separation upon illumination. Photoelectrochemical measurements in different solvents show that ZnO/CuO hierarchical nanostructures have enhanced photocatalytic activity compared to that of the nonhierarchical structure of ZnO/CuO, pure ZnO, and pure CuO nanoparticles. The combination of ZnO and CuO in tree-like nanostructures provides opportunities for the design of photoelectrochemical sensors, photocatalytic synthesis, and solar energy conversion.

Investigation of the influence of oxygen plasma on supported silver nanoparticles.

Silver deposition precursor molecule trimethylphosphine(hexafluoroacetylacetonato)silver(I) [(hfac)AgP(CH3)3] was used to deposit silver onto water-modified (hydroxyl-terminated) solid substrates. A silicon wafer was used as a model flat surface, and water-predosed ZnO nanopowder was investigated to expand the findings to a common substrate material for possible practical applications. Following the deposition, oxygen plasma was used to remove the remaining organic ligands on a surface and to investigate its effect on the morphology of chemically deposited silver nanoparticles and films. A combination of microscopic and spectroscopic techniques including electron microscopy and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy was used to confirm the change in the morphology of the deposited material consistent with Ostwald ripening as a result of plasma treatment. Particle agglomeration was observed on the surfaces, and the deposited metallic silver was oxidized to Ag2O following plasma treatment. The fluorine-containing ligands were completely removed. This result suggests that chemical vapor deposition can be used to deposit silver in a very controlled manner onto a variety of substrates using different topography methods and that the post-treatment with oxygen plasma is effective in preparing materials deposited for potential practical applications.

Water dissociation on MnO(1 × 1)/Ag(100).

In this work we utilize experimental and simulation techniques to examine the molecular level interaction of water with a MnO(1 × 1) thin film deposited onto Ag(100). The formation of MnO(1 × 1)/Ag(100) was characterized by low energy electron diffraction and scanning tunneling microscopy. Density functional theory (DFT) shows MnO(1 × 1) is thermodynamically more stable than MnO(2 × 1) by ∼0.4 eV per MnO. Upon exposure to 2.5 Torr water vapor at room temperature, X-ray photoemission spectroscopy results show extensive surface hydroxylation attributed to reactivity at MnO(1 × 1) terrace sites. DFT calculations of a water monomer on MnO(1 × 1)/Ag(100) show the dissociated form is energetically more favorable than molecular adsorption, with a hydroxylation activation barrier 0.4 eV per H2O. These results are discussed and contrasted with previous studies of MgO/Ag(100) which show a stark difference in behavior for water dissociation.

Adsorption of 2-propanol on ice probed by ambient pressure X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy.

The interaction of 2-propanol with ice was examined via ambient pressure X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (APXPS), a surface sensitive technique that probes the adsorbed 2-propanol directly with submonolayer resolution. Isothermal uptake experiments were performed on vapor deposited ice at 227 K in the presence of the equilibrium water vapor pressure of 0.05 Torr and 2-propanol partial pressures ranging from 5 × 10(-5) to 2 × 10(-3) Torr. The C 1s APXPS spectra of adsorbed 2-propanol showed two characteristic peaks associated with the COH alcohol group and CMe methyl groups in a 1 : 2 ratio, respectively. Coverage increased with 2-propanol partial pressure and followed first order Langmuir kinetics with a Langmuir constant of K = 6.3 × 10(3) Torr(-1). The 1 : 2 ratio of COH : CMe remained constant with increasing coverage, indicating there is no chemical reaction upon adsorption. The observed Langmuir kinetics using APXPS is consistent with previous observations of other small chain alcohols via indirect adsorption methods using, e.g., Knudsen cell and coated wall flow tube reactors.

Reaction of bromide with bromate in thin-film water.

Thin-film water is ubiquitous in nature, occurring on virtually all surfaces exposed to the ambient environment. In particular, alkali halide salts below their deliquescence point are expected to be coated with water films from one molecular layer to a few nanometers thick. While salt ion mobility in thin-film water has been characterized in the literature, little is known about the chemistry occurring within these films. Here we investigate the surface chemistry change of a mixed bromine salt (KBr/KBrO(3)) using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, secondary electron microscopy, and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. At 68% relative humidity, the Br(-) surface concentration was observed to deplete with increasing water vapor exposure time. Known bulk solution kinetics for the reaction of Br(-) + BrO(3)(-) has a second-order dependence on H(+) concentrations. However, in the present experiments there was no addition of an external acid. These results suggest that the pH and chemical reactions within thin-film water are uniquely differently from bulk solution. Because bromine chemistry in the atmosphere is strongly influenced by pH, these results have implications for the cycling of bromine where thin-film water is present.

Mass Transfer Thermodynamics through a Gas-Liquid Interface.

Molecular level information about thermodynamic variations (enthalpy, entropy, and free energy) of a gas molecule as it crosses a gas-liquid interface is strongly lacking from an experimental perspective under equilibrium conditions. Herein, we perform in situ measurements of water interacting with the ionic liquid (IL) 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate, [C4mim][Ace], using ambient pressure X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy in order to assess the interfacial uptake of water quantitatively as a function of temperature, pressure, and water mole fraction ( xw). The surface spectroscopy results are compared to existing bulk water absorption experiments, showing that the amount of water in the interfacial region is consistently greater than that in the bulk. The enthalpy and entropy of water sorption vary significantly between the gas-liquid interface and the bulk as a function of xw, with a crossover that occurs near xw = 0.6 where the water-IL mixture converts from being homogeneous ( xw < 0.6) to nanostructured ( xw > 0.6). Free energy results reveal that water at the gas-IL interface is thermodynamically more favorable than that in the bulk, consistent with the enhanced water concentration in the interfacial region. The results herein show that the efficacy for an ionic liquid to absorb a gas phase molecule is not merely a function of bulk solvation parameters but also is significantly influenced by the thermodynamics occurring across the gas-IL interface during the mass transfer process.

Energy Band Architecture of a Hierarchical ZnO/Au/CuxO Nanoforest by Mimicking Natural Superhydrophobic Surfaces.

The ZnO/Cu2O heterojunction promises high efficiency in photocurrent conversion and other light-driven processes, but the lattice mismatch between ZnO and Cu2O leads to slow electron transfer and low conversion efficiency. In addition, the stability of Cu2O is still the main challenging and limiting factor for device applications in real environments. CuxO is a mixed semiconductor of CuO and Cu2O, which is a promising alternative to Cu2O in device fabrication due to its better stability and photocatalytic efficiency. In this work, CuxO nanorods were attached to vertically aligned gold-decorated ZnO nanorods, creating a hierarchical ZnO/Au/CuxO nanoforest. In addition, the hierarchical surface shows superhydrophobicity, which can prevent Cu2O degradation by water and oxygen. Femtosecond time-resolved transient absorption spectroscopy was employed to investigate the electron transfer dynamics in the ZnO/Au/CuxO heterojunction. The nanoforest demonstrates enhanced electron mobility, increased lattice match, and higher photocurrent conversion efficiency compared with bare ZnO, CuxO, or ZnO/CuxO.

Surface enhancement of water at the ionic liquid-gas interface of [HMIM][Cl] under ambient water vapor.

The ionic liquid-gas interface of 1-hexyl-3-methyl-imidazolium chloride, [HMIM][Cl], was examined in the presence of water vapor using lab-based ambient pressure x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (APXPS) at room temperature. The interfacial water uptake was measured quantitatively in the pressure range of high vacuum up to a maximum of 5 Torr (27% RH) and back to high vacuum in a systematic manner. Water mole fractions in the interface determined from APXPS were compared to previously published tandem differential mobility analysis results on [HMIM][Cl] nanodroplets. Our findings show that water constitutes a significantly larger mole fraction at the interface when compared to the bulk. Additionally, the reverse isotherms showed that the uptake of water at the interface of [HMIM][Cl] is a reversible process.

ZnO(101Ì 0) Surface Hydroxylation under Ambient Water Vapor.

The interaction of water vapor with a single crystal ZnO(101̅0) surface was investigated using synchrotron-based ambient pressure X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (APXPS). Two isobaric experiments were performed at 0.3 and 0.07 Torr water vapor pressure at sample temperatures ranging from 750 to 295 K up to a maximum of 2% relative humidity (RH). Below 10-4 % RH the ZnO(101̅0) interface is covered with ∼0.25 monolayers of OH groups attributed to dissociation at nonstoichiometric defect sites. At ∼10-4 % RH there is a sharp onset in increased surface hydroxylation attributed to reaction at stoichiometric terrace sites. The surface saturates with an OH monolayer ∼0.26 nm thick and occurs in the absence of any observable molecularly bound water, suggesting the formation of a 1 × 1 dissociated monolayer structure. This is in stark contrast to ultrahigh vacuum experiments and molecular simulations that show the optimum structure is a 2 × 1 partially dissociated H2O/OH monolayer. The sharp onset to terrace site hydroxylation at ∼10-4 % RH for ZnO(101̅0) contrasts with APXPS observations for MgO(100) which show a sharp onset at 10-2 % RH. A surface thermodynamic analysis reveals that this shift to lower RH for ZnO(101̅0) compared to MgO(100) is due to a more favorable Gibbs free energy for terrace site hydroxylation.

Silver Deposition onto Modified Silicon Substrates.

Trimethylphosphine(hexafluoroacetylacetonato)silver(I) was used as a precursor to deposit silver onto silicon surfaces. The deposition was performed on silicon-based substrates including silica, H-terminated Si(100), and OH-terminated (oxidized) Si(100). The deposition processes at room temperature and elevated temperature (350 °C) were compared. The successful deposition resulted in nanostructures or nanostructured films as confirmed by atomic force microscopy (AFM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with metallic silver being the majority deposited species as confirmed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The reactivity of the precursor depends drastically not only on the temperature of the process but also on the type of substrate. Density functional theory (DFT) was used to explain these differences and to propose the mechanisms for the initial deposition steps.

A lab-based ambient pressure x-ray photoelectron spectrometer with exchangeable analysis chambers.

Ambient pressure X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (APXPS) is a powerful spectroscopy tool that is inherently surface sensitive, elemental, and chemical specific, with the ability to probe sample surfaces under Torr level pressures. Herein, we describe the design of a new lab-based APXPS system with the ability to swap small volume analysis chambers. Ag 3d(5/2) analyses of a silver foil were carried out at room temperature to determine the optimal sample-to-aperture distance, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis spot size, relative peak intensities, and peak full width at half maximum of three different electrostatic lens modes: acceleration, transmission, and angular. Ag 3d(5/2) peak areas, differential pumping pressures, and pump performance were assessed under varying N2(g) analysis chamber pressures up to 20 Torr. The commissioning of this instrument allows for the investigation of molecular level interfacial processes under ambient vapor conditions in energy and environmental research.

Highly compressed two-dimensional form of water at ambient conditions.

The structure of thin-film water on a BaF(2)(111) surface under ambient conditions was studied using x-ray absorption spectroscopy from ambient to supercooled temperatures at relative humidity up to 95%. No hexagonal ice-like structure was observed in spite of the expected templating effect of the lattice-matched (111) surface. The oxygen K-edge x-ray absorption spectrum of liquid thin-film water on BaF(2) exhibits, at all temperatures, a strong resemblance to that of high-density phases for which the observed spectroscopic features correlate linearly with the density. Surprisingly, the highly compressed, high-density thin-film liquid water is found to be stable from ambient (300 K) to supercooled (259 K) temperatures, although a lower-density liquid would be expected at supercooled conditions. Molecular dynamics simulations indicate that the first layer water on BaF(2)(111) is indeed in a unique local structure that resembles high-density water, with a strongly collapsed second coordination shell.

Substrate changes associated with the chemistry of self-assembled monolayers on silicon.

Alkylsiloxane self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) are used in the semiconductor industry and, more recently, as proxies for organics adsorbed on airborne mineral dust and on buildings and construction materials. A number of methods have been used for removing the SAM from the substrate after reaction or use, particularly plasmas or piranha (H2SO4/H2O2) solution. However, when the substrates are reused to make new SAMs, the impact of the cleaning methods on the chemistry of subsequently formed SAMs on the surface is not known. Here we report atomic force microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Auger electron spectroscopy, and Fourier transform infrared studies of changes in a silicon substrate upon repetitive deposition and removal of SAMs by these two methods. It is shown that a thicker layer of silicon oxide is formed, and the surface becomes irregular and roughened, particularly after the piranha treatment. This layer of silica impacts the structure of the SAMs attached to it and can serve as a reservoir for trace gases that adsorb on it, potentially contributing to the subsequent reactions of the SAM. The implications for the use of such surfaces as a proxy for reactions of organics on airborne dust particles and on structures in the boundary layer are discussed.