Co3O4(100) films grown on Ag(100): Structure and chemical properties

Abstract

Spinel type Co3O4(100) is successfully grown on Ag(100) at ultrahigh vacuum conditions and its structure, electronic and chemical properties are compared with those of Co3O4(111) grown on Ir(100). We find that the Co3O4(100) is unreconstructed. In contrast to the defect free Co3O4(111) surface the Co3O4(100) surface contains a high concentration of defects that we assign to subsurface cation vacancies analogous to those observed for Fe3O4(100). Our photoemission and absorption spectroscopy experiments reveal a very similar electronic structure of the Co3O4(111) and Co3O4(100) surfaces. The similar electronic structure of the two surfaces is reflected in the CO adsorption properties at low temperatures, as we observe adsorption of molecular CO as well as the formation of carbonate (CO3) species on both surfaces upon CO exposure at 85K.