We report a methodology for a direct investigation of the solid/liquid interface using high pressure x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (HPXPS). The technique was demonstrated with an electrochemical system represented by a Li-ion battery using a silicon electrode and a liquid electrolyte of LiClO4 in propylene carbonate (PC) cycled versus metallic lithium. For the first time the presence of a li...

Density functional theory in combination with genetic algorithm is applied to determine the atomic models of p(1x2) and p(1x3) surface structures observed upon oxygen adsorption on a Mo(112) surface. The authors' simulations reveal an unusual flexibility of Mo(112) resulting in oxygen-induced reconstructions and lead to more stable structures than any suggested so far. Comparison of the stabili...

Photoelectron spectroscopic measurements have the potential to provide detailed mechanistic insight by resolving chemical states, electrochemically active regions and local potentials or potential losses in operating solid oxide electrochemical cells (SOCs), such as fuel cells. However, high-vacuum requirements have limited X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis of electrochemical cell...

X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) is used to follow some of the electrical properties of a segmented silicon photodetector, fabricated in a p-n-p configuration, during operation under various biasing configurations. Mapping of the binding energy position of Si2p reveals the shift in the position of the junctions with respect to the polarity of the DC bias applied. Use of squared and triang...

We studied the interactions between the carboxylate anchoring group from trimethylacetic acid (TMAA) and CeO2(111) surfaces as a function of oxygen stoichiometry using in situ X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The stoichiometric CeO2(111) surface was obtained by annealing the thin film under 2.0 × 10(-5) Torr of oxygen at ∼550 °C for 30 min. In order to reduce the CeO2(111) surface, the t...

The successful synthesis of amylose brushes via enzymatic "grafting from" polymerization and the detailed characterization of all synthetic steps by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and spectroscopic ellipsometry measurements are reported. Au and Si surfaces are amino-functionalized with self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) of cystamine and 3-aminopropyldimethyethoxysilane (APDMES), respectiv...

By means of electric force microscopy, composition depth profiles were measured with nanometric resolution for a series of fluorinated networks. By mapping the dielectric permittivity along a line going from the surface to the bulk, we were able to experimentally access to the fluorine concentration profile. Obtained data show composition gradient lengths ranging from 30 nm to 80 nm in the near...

The interaction between (sub)monolayers of the ionic liquid 1-butyl-1-methylpyrrolidinium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)amide [BMP](+)[TFSA](-) and graphite(0001), which serves as a model for the anode|electolyte interface in Li-ion batteries, was investigated under ultrahigh vacuum conditions in a combined experimental and theoretical approach. High-resolution scanning tunneling microscopy (STM)...

We have modified and stabilized the ruthenium surface by depositing a self-assembled monolayer (SAM) of 1-hexadecanethiol on a polycrystalline ruthenium thin film. The growth mechanism, dynamics, and stability of these monolayers were studied. SAMs, deposited under ambient conditions, on piranha-cleaned and piranha + H2SO4 cleaned substrates were compared to monolayers formed on H-radical-clean...