Stereo Chemistry and Electronic Structure XAFS Spectroscopy: Data-Analysis and Applications

Abstract

The structural and electronic characterization of a material provides a basic understanding of its properties. Traditionally, diffraction techniques (XRD, neutron diffraction, LEED) are being used for most of the structural investigations and reliable structures can be determined for materials that exhibit a long-range structural order (like single crystals or polycrystalline material). X-ray Absorption Fine Structure (XAFS) spectroscopy is a powerful technique to characterize all forms of matter irrespective of their degree of crystallinity. EXAFS (Extended X-ray Absorption Fine Structure spectroscopy probes the local structure of a material. The local structure of highly disordered solids, amorphous materials and liquids can be unraveled with EXAFS. In addition, the chemical state and the electronic properties can be determined from the X-ray Absorption Near Edge Structure (XANES) which extends within 40 eV of the X-ray absorption edge. One of the major advantages of XAFS is its atomic selectivity which enables the investigation of the local structure of each different constituent of a sample. As shown by Fontaine (1993), the recent availability of high-brightness synchrotron radiation sources has resulted in a prosperous development XAFS spectroscopy.KeywordsPlatinum FoilEXAFS SpectrumEXAFS DataStereo ChemistryWhite Line IntensityThese keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.