Abstract

We describe an experimental method to probe the adsorption of water at the surface of isolated, substrate-free TiO2 nanoparticles (NPs) based on soft X-ray spectroscopy in the gas phase using synchrotron radiation. To understand the interfacial properties between water and TiO2 surface, a water shell was adsorbed at the surface of TiO2 NPs. We used two different ways to control the hydration level of the NPs: in the first scheme, initially solvated NPs were dried and in the second one, dry NPs generated thanks to a commercial aerosol generator were exposed to water vapor. XPS was used to identify the signature of the water layer shell on the surface of the free TiO2 NPs and made it possible to follow the evolution of their hydration state. The results obtained allow the establishment of a qualitative determination of isolated NPs’ surface states, as well as to unravel water adsorption mechanisms. This method appears to be a unique approach to investigate the interface between an isolated nano-object and a solvent over-layer, paving the way towards new investigation methods in heterogeneous catalysis on nanomaterials.

Highlights

  • Have been reported in the literature and aimed at understanding and controlling TiO2 nanoparticles (NPs)’ surface properties

  • Our approach consists in using synchrotron radiation (SR) based soft X-ray electron spectroscopy to analyse the properties of a collimated beam of differently hydrated NPs generated and focused to the interaction region with the SR by an Aerodynamic Lens System (ADLS)

  • This assumption is supported by the absence of such an inhomogeneity on the micrograph performed on a commercial sample of pure anatase TiO2 nanopowder (MK Impex Corp.) (Fig. 1b)

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Summary

Introduction

Have been reported in the literature and aimed at understanding and controlling TiO2 nanoparticles (NPs)’ surface properties. Our approach consists in using synchrotron radiation (SR) based soft X-ray electron spectroscopy to analyse the properties of a collimated beam of differently hydrated NPs generated and focused to the interaction region with the SR by an Aerodynamic Lens System (ADLS). This experimental approach offers the opportunity of avoiding any interaction between the sample and a substrate, giving access to the sole, intrinsic information about the NP surface. Several questions have been addressed to evaluate the feasibility of controlling the hydration state of freestanding TiO2 NPs and to achieve insight into the factors which can influence the water adsorption mechanisms on isolated TiO2 NPs in the gas phase

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