Abstract
The thermal oxidation of Ru(0001) has been extensively studied in the surface science community to determine the oxidation pathway towards ruthenium dioxide (RuO2(110)), improving the knowledge of Ru(0001) surface chemistry. Using time-lapsed ambient-pressure x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (APXPS), we investigate the thermal oxidation of single-crystalline Ru(0001) films toward rutile RuO2(110) in situ. APXPS spectra were continuously collected while the Ru(0001) films were exposed to a fixed O2 partial pressure of 10−2 mbar and the sample temperature was increased stepwise from room temperature to 400 °C. We initially observe the removal of adventitious carbon and subsequent formation of a chemisorbed oxygen overlayer at 250 °C. Further annealing to 300 °C leads to an increase in thickness of the oxide layer and a shift in the Ru–O component of the Ru 3d spectra, indicating the presence of a metastable O–Ru–O trilayer structure. A rapid formation of the RuO2 rutile phase with an approximate thickness of at least 2.6 nm is formed about four minutes after stabilizing the temperature at 350 °C and subsequent annealing to 400 °C, signaled by a distinct binding energy shift in both the Ru 3d and O 1s spectra, as well as quantitative analysis of XPS intensities. This observed autocatalytic oxidation process agrees well with previous theoretical models and experimental studies, and the data provide the unambiguous spectral identification of one proposed metastable precursor required for full oxidation to rutile RuO2(110). Further ex situ characterization of the grown oxide with x-ray photoelectron diffraction confirms the presence of three rotated domains of rutile RuO2(110) and reveals their orientation relative to the substrate lattice.
Highlights
Ruthenium dioxide (RuO2) is a promising oxidation catalyst for numerous reactions, low-temperature dehydrogenation of ammonia [1], HCl oxidation [2], and alcohol combustion [3, 4]
We report on the thermal oxidation of singlecrystalline Ru(0001) films, in situ, during time-lapsed ambient pressure x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (APXPS) measurements
The partial pressure of O2 was set to 1 × 10−2 mbar starting at room temperature (RT), followed by incremental heating from 100 to 400 ◦C with step sizes of 50 ◦C as shown in figure 1(c)
Summary
Ruthenium dioxide (RuO2) is a promising oxidation catalyst for numerous reactions, low-temperature dehydrogenation of ammonia [1], HCl oxidation [2], and alcohol combustion [3, 4]. RuO2 has shown promise in electrocatalysis due to the formation of hydrous RuO2 [4]. There is a well-known catalytic pressure gap, where the Ru metal surface is inactive towards CO oxidation at low oxygen partial pressures, but becomes one of the most active catalysts as the oxygen ambient increases [4, 5]. Over et al proved that this increase in activity of Ru metal is due to the formation of a RuO2 film at the surface, allowing for CO molecules to adsorb and react with surface oxygen [6]. Understanding the nature of Ru oxidation is imperative towards understanding reactions on Ru surfaces
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