Atomic-Scale\nView of Water Chemistry on Nanostructured\nIron Oxide Films

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