Atomic-Scale View of Water Chemistry on Nanostructured Iron Oxide Films

The interaction of water with solid surfaces is crucial for a wide range of disciplines, including catalysis, environmental science, corrosion, geology, and biology. In this study, we present a combined experimental and theoretical investigation that elucidates the interaction of water with a model iron oxide surface under near ambient conditions (i.e., room temperature and water vapor in the mbar range). Our findings reveal that surface hydroxylation can be controlled at the nanoscale by the local properties of the oxide film, such as local rumpling and electrostatic potential. The iron oxide surface presents alternating hydrophilic and hydrophobic domains, creating after water exposure a hexagonal pattern with a pitch of approximately 3 nm, where the highly hydroxylated regions act as nucleation centers for nanoconfined water molecule clusters.

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Publication Details

Journal
Nano Letters
Published
2024-09-20
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.nanolett.4c03521
Citations
3
Primary Topic
Iron oxide chemistry and applications
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.31

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Atomic-Scale View of Water Chemistry on Nanostructured Iron Oxide Films

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Nano Letters
Iron oxide chemistry and applications
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Atomic-Scale View of Water Chemistry on Nanostructured Iron Oxide Films

Mattia Cattelan, Francesco Sedona, Jijin Yang, Stefano Agnoli, Anna Maria Ferrari, Peter Matvija, Eleonora Ascrizzi, Marco Nalesso, Leonardo Cielo
article en
3 citations

Abstract

The interaction of water with solid surfaces is crucial for a wide range of disciplines, including catalysis, environmental science, corrosion, geology, and biology. In this study, we present a combined experimental and theoretical investigation that elucidates the interaction of water with a model iron oxide surface under near ambient conditions (i.e., room temperature and water vapor in the mbar range). Our findings reveal that surface hydroxylation can be controlled at the nanoscale by the local properties of the oxide film, such as local rumpling and electrostatic potential. The iron oxide surface presents alternating hydrophilic and hydrophobic domains, creating after water exposure a hexagonal pattern with a pitch of approximately 3 nm, where the highly hydroxylated regions act as nucleation centers for nanoconfined water molecule clusters.

Nano LettersVol. 24(40)
University of Padua (IT), Charles University (CZ), Consorzio Interuniversitario Reattività Chimica e Catalisi (IT), National Interuniversity Consortium of Materials Science and Technology (IT), University of Turin (IT)
European Commission, Ministerstvo Školství, Mládeže a Tělovýchovy, Università degli Studi di Padova, China Scholarship Council, Ministero dell'Università e della Ricerca
Clean water and sanitation
Openalex Percentile: Top 52%
Iron oxide chemistry and applications
0.31
DOISourceOpenAlex
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