Charge Trapping at the Step Edges of TiO2 Anatase (101)

Abstract

A combination of Photoemission, Atomic Force and Scanning Tunneling Microscopy/Spectroscopy measurements shows that excess electrons in TiO2 anatase (101) surface are trapped at step edges. Consequently, steps act as preferred adsorption sites for O2. In Density Functional Theory calculations electrons localize at clean step edges, this tendency is enhanced by O vacancies and hydroxylation. The results show the importance of defects for the wide-ranging applications of titania.

References in corpus (5)

• Reaction of O2 with Subsurface Oxygen Vacancies on TiO2 Anatase (101)
• Tunable polaronic conduction in anatase TiO2
• Charge Localization Dynamics induced by Oxygen Vacancies on the Titania TiO${}_2$(110) Surface
• (Sub)surface mobility of oxygen vacancies at the TiO${}_2$ anatase (101) surface
• Dual behavior of excess electrons in rutile TiO2

Cited by in corpus (5)

• Coexistence of trapped and free excess electrons in SrTiO3
• Formation and dynamics of small polarons on the rutile TiO${}_2$(110) surface
• Aggregation and Electronically-Induced Migration of Oxygen Vacancies in TiO2 Anatase
• Small Polarons in Transition Metal Oxides
• Monomeric, Two-Dimensionally Ordered WO${}_3$ Clusters on Anatase TiO${}_2$(101)