| 1. |
- Amann, Peter, et al.
(författare)
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A high-pressure x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy instrument for studies of industrially relevant catalytic reactions at pressures of several bars
- 2019
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Ingår i: Review of Scientific Instruments. - : American Institute of Physics (AIP). - 0034-6748 .- 1089-7623. ; 90:10
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We present a new high-pressure x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy system dedicated to probing catalytic reactions under realistic conditions at pressures of multiple bars. The instrument builds around the novel concept of a "virtual cell" in which a gas flow onto the sample surface creates a localized high-pressure pillow. This allows the instrument to be operated with a low pressure of a few millibar in the main chamber, while simultaneously a local pressure exceeding 1 bar can be supplied at the sample surface. Synchrotron based hard x-ray excitation is used to increase the electron mean free path in the gas region between sample and analyzer while grazing incidence <5 degrees close to total external refection conditions enhances surface sensitivity. The aperture separating the high-pressure region from the differential pumping of the electron spectrometer consists of multiple, evenly spaced, micrometer sized holes matching the footprint of the x-ray beam on the sample. The resulting signal is highly dependent on the sample-to-aperture distance because photoemitted electrons are subject to strong scattering in the gas phase. Therefore, high precision control of the sample-to-aperture distance is crucial. A fully integrated manipulator allows for sample movement with step sizes of 10 nm between 0 and -5 mm with very low vibrational amplitude and also for sample heating up to 500 degrees C under reaction conditions. We demonstrate the performance of this novel instrument with bulk 2p spectra of a copper single crystal at He pressures of up to 2.5 bars and C1s spectra measured in gas mixtures of CO + H-2 at pressures of up to 790 mbar. The capability to detect emitted photoelectrons at several bars opens the prospect for studies of catalytic reactions under industrially relevant operando conditions.
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| 2. |
- Ahlund, John, et al.
(författare)
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Molecular growth determined by surface domain patterns
- 2008
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Ingår i: The Journal of Physical Chemistry C. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 1932-7447 .- 1932-7455. ; 112:17, s. 6887-6890
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The growth of iron phthalocyanine (FePc) on InSb(001) c(8 x 2) at submonolayer coverage has been investigated with scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). FePc adsorbs flat centered on the In rows both at 70 K and at room temperature (RT). However, the shapes of the two-dimensional molecular islands are fundamentally different; while the RT growth results in chainlike structures along the [I 10] direction, as already observed for other Pc's adsorbed on the same surface, the islands are prolonged along [110], i.e., perpendicular to the substrate rows, at 70 K. These observations are explained on the basis of a recently observed new surface phase at low temperature, resulting in structural domains on the surface. The molecular growth front follows the propagating domain boundary that freezes at low temperature.
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| 3. |
- Edwards, Marten O. M., et al.
(författare)
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Increased photoelectron transmission in High-pressure photoelectron spectrometers using "swift acceleration"
- 2015
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Ingår i: Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A. - : Elsevier BV. - 0168-9002 .- 1872-9576. ; 785, s. 191-196
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- A new operation mode of a HPXPS (high-pressure X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy) analyzer is evaluated on a HPXPS system fitted with an Al K alpha X-ray source. A variety of metal foil samples (gold, silver and copper) were measured in different sample gas environments (N-2 and H2O), and a front aperture diameter of 0.8 mm. The new design concept is based upon "swiftly" accelerating the photoelectrons to kinetic energies of several keV after they pass the analyzer front aperture. Compared to the standard mode, in which the front section between the two first apertures is field-free, this gives a wider angular collection and a lower tendency for electron losses in collisions with gas molecules within the analyzer. With the swift-acceleration mode we attain, depending on the experimental conditions, up to about 3 times higher peak intensities in vacuum and about 10 to 20 times higher peak intensities in the 6-9 mbar regime, depending on kinetic energy. These experimental findings agree well with simulated transmission functions for the analyzer. The new mode of operation enables faster data acquisition than the standard mode of operation, particularly valuable in a home laboratory environment. Further demonstrations of performance are highlighted by measurements of the valence band structure in dye sensitized solar cell photoelectrodes under a 2 mbar H2O atmosphere, a molecularly modified surface of interest in photoelectrochemical devices.
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| 4. |
- Eriksson, Susanna K, et al.
(författare)
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A versatile photoelectron spectrometer for pressures up to 30 mbar
- 2014
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Ingår i: Review of Scientific Instruments. - : American Institute of Physics (AIP). - 0034-6748 .- 1089-7623. ; 85:7, s. 075119-
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- High-pressure photoelectron spectroscopy is a rapidly developing technique with applications in a wide range of fields ranging from fundamental surface science and catalysis to energy materials, environmental science, and biology. At present the majority of the high-pressure photoelectron spectrometers are situated at synchrotron end stations, but recently a small number of laboratory-based setups have also emerged. In this paper we discuss the design and performance of a new laboratory based high pressure photoelectron spectrometer equipped with an Al Ka X-ray anode and a hemispherical electron energy analyzer combined with a differentially pumped electrostatic lens. The instrument is demonstrated to be capable of measuring core level spectra at pressures up to 30 mbar. Moreover, valence band spectra of a silver sample as well as a carbon-coated surface (graphene) recorded under a 2 mbar nitrogen atmosphere are presented, demonstrating the versatility of this laboratory-based spectrometer.
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| 5. |
- Eriksson, Susanna K., et al.
(författare)
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In-Situ Probing of H2O Effects on a Ru-Complex Adsorbed on TiO2 Using Ambient Pressure Photoelectron Spectroscopy
- 2016
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Ingår i: Topics in catalysis. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1022-5528 .- 1572-9028. ; 59:5-7, s. 583-590
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Dye-sensitized interfaces in photocatalytic and solar cells systems are significantly affected by the choice of electrolyte solvent. In the present work, the interface between the hydrophobic Ru-complex Z907, a commonly used dye in molecular solar cells, and TiO2 was investigated with ambient pressure photoelectron spectroscopy (AP-PES) to study the effect of water atmosphere on the chemical and electronic structure of the dye/TiO2 interface. Both laboratory-based Al K alpha as well as synchrotron-based ambient pressure measurements using hard X-ray (AP-HAXPES) were used. AP-HAXPES data were collected at pressures of up to 25 mbar (i.e., the vapor pressure of water at room temperature) showing the presence of an adsorbed water overlayer on the sample surface. Adopting a quantitative AP-HAXPES analysis methodology indicates a stable stoichiometry in the presence of the water atmosphere. However, solvation effects due to the presence of water were observed both in the valence band region and for the S 1s core level and the results were compared with DFT calculations of the dye-water complex.
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| 6. |
- Isvoranu, Cristina, et al.
(författare)
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Electron spectroscopy study of the initial stages of iron phthalocyanine growth on highly oriented pyrolitic graphite.
- 2009
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Ingår i: Journal of Chemical Physics. - : AIP Publishing. - 0021-9606 .- 1089-7690. ; 131:21
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The nature of the intermolecular and substrate bonds of iron phthalocyanine adsorbed on highly oriented pyrolitic graphite has been investigated by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and x-ray absorption spectroscopy. We find that the molecules grow in a highly ordered fashion with the molecules essentially plane-parallel to the surface in both the mono- and multilayers. The spectra obtained on both types of film are virtually identical, which shows that the bonds both between the adsorbate and substrate and between the molecular layers have a pure van der Waals nature. Supporting density functional theory results indicate that the layers are stabilized by weak hydrogen bonds within the molecular layers.
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| 7. |
- Kahk, J. Matthias, et al.
(författare)
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A study of the pressure profiles near the first pumping aperture in a high pressure photoelectron spectrometer
- 2015
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Ingår i: Journal of Electron Spectroscopy and Related Phenomena. - : Elsevier BV. - 0368-2048 .- 1873-2526. ; 205, s. 57-65
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- In a high-pressure photoelectron spectrometer, the sample is positioned close to a differential pumping aperture, behind which the pressure is several orders of magnitude lower than the pressure in the analysis chamber. To find the optimal sample position, where the path length of the photoelectrons through the high pressure region is minimized as far as possible without compromising knowledge of the actual pressure at the sample surface, an understanding of the pressure variations near the sample and the aperture is required. A computational fluid dynamics study has been carried out to examine the pressure profiles, and the results are compared against experimental spectra whose intensities are analyzed using the Beer-Lambert law. The resultant pressure profiles are broadly similar to the one previously derived from a simplistic molecular flow model, but indicate that as the pressure in the analysis chamber is raised, the region over which the pressure drop occurs becomes progressively narrower.
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| 8. |
- Maibach, Julia, et al.
(författare)
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A high pressure x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy experimental method for characterization of solid-liquid interfaces demonstrated with a Li-ion battery system
- 2015
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Ingår i: Review of Scientific Instruments. - : AIP Publishing. - 0034-6748 .- 1089-7623. ; 86:4
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- 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 liquid electrolyte was realized using a transfer procedure where the sample was introduced into a 2 mbar N-2 environment in the analysis chamber without an intermediate ultrahigh vacuum (UHV) step in the load lock. The procedure was characterized in detail concerning lateral drop gradients as well as stability of measurement conditions over time. The X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) measurements demonstrate that the solid substrate and the liquid electrolyte can be observed simultaneously. The results show that the solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) composition for the wet electrode is stable within the probing time and generally agrees well with traditional UHV studies. Since the methodology can easily be adjusted to various high pressure photoelectron spectroscopy systems, extending the approach towards operando solid/liquid interface studies using liquid electrolytes seems now feasible. (C) 2015 Author(s). All article content, except where otherwise noted, is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License.
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