(Keynote) Recent Progress in Nanoscale Understanding of Surface Oxide Film Formation, Properties and Breakdown on Metals and Alloys Using in Situ and Ex Situ Characterization Methods

Abstract

After a short historical introduction in recognition to the pioneering work of Masahiro Seo, recent advances in the understanding at the nanoscale of the formation, properties and breakdown of oxide films on metals and alloys will be presented, with emphasis on data obtained using advanced in situ and ex situ surface analytical techniques such as Scanning Tunneling Microscopy (STM), Scanning Tunneling Spectroscopy (STS),Current-Sensing Atomic Force Microscopy (CS-AFM), X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS), and Time-of-Flight Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (ToF-SIMS), combined with electrochemical measurements, and complemented by atomistic modelling with Density Functional Theory (DFT). The following topics will be addressed: Nanostructured oxide layers formed by controlled thermal oxidation of copper single crystal surfacesPassive oxide films for corrosion protection of metals and alloys: crystallinity, oxide/metal epitaxy, effects of time of polarization on oxide crystallinity, compositional heterogeneity of surface oxides (in the case of stainless steel)Role of surface oxide defects in passivity breakdown and initiation of localized corrosion, investigated with high resolutionOxide layers deposited by ALD (Atomic Layer Deposition) for corrosion protection, and as model systems for the study of conversion-deconversion mechanisms in Li-ion batteriesAtomistic modelling of oxide layers on metals using density functional theory (DFT)