Interaction of alkali atoms with water multilayers adsorbed on TiO 2(1 1 0): a study with MIES and UPS

Abstract

The chemistry of alkali atoms (Li, Na, K, Cs) embedded in a multilayer aqueous environment was studied with metastable impact electron spectroscopy (MIES) and ultraviolet photoemission spectroscopy (UPS) (HeI and II) under ultra high vacuum (UHV) conditions. The water multilayers were grown at 130 K on a rutile, 1×1 reconstructed, TiO 2(1 1 0) single crystal. The behavior of the multilayer system was investigated as a function of the temperature (130–500 K). Due to the relatively large escape depth of the emitted electrons UPS provides spectroscopic information about several layers in contrast to MIES which is only sensitive to the outermost layer. This allows us to discriminate between species adsorbed at the water multilayer and species, which are embedded in the solvent or at the substrate–solvent interface. Furthermore, MIES is, in contrast to UPS, very sensitive to the outermost s-states of adsorbed alkali atoms, which are considered to be responsible for the high reactivity of these metals. The present study gives insight into the complicated chemistry of alkali atoms added to an aqueous multilayer system. The chosen combination of MIES and UPS allows us to distinguish clearly between various phases depending on the amount of offered alkali atoms. For low alkali concentrations the alkali atoms penetrate the water surface whereby they dissociate some water. With increasing exposure more and more water molecules become dissociated, whereby the outermost water layer remains intact. Finally, the chemistry between water and alkali atoms takes place at the outermost surface too, which is manifested by the formation of OH-groups at the surface. With further increasing alkali concentration the atoms start to adsorb as neutral atoms; whereby the spectrum of the alkali species is then strongly influenced by the underlying solvent system. For very high exposure the observed spectra are not influenced by the underlying aqueous system anymore; the formation of an alkali metal film is observed. Under annealing, the entire multilayer system desorbs around 200 K; a titania surface covered by hydroxyl groups and alkali ions is remaining. This adlayer desorbs under further annealing above room temperature (around 400 K, but dependent on the particular alkali atom) resulting in a titania surface.