Oxygen surface layers

Figure 18. The centers of mass of the induced electronic charge (xe), and induced polarization charge (x,) as a function of the amount of induced surface charge, in units of 10-3 e/(a.u.)3. The black filled circles show the calculated values of xe, and the solid black line is a quadratic fit to these values. The open circles indicate the calculated center of mass of the xs (equal to the edge position of an equivalent, classical uniform dielectric), and the line labeled Exp. dielectric edge indicates where they would need to be in order to reproduce the experimental compact capacity. The line labeled Shifted Oxygen dist. is the position of the oxygen surface layer as a function of charge, shifted downward by 2.4 a.u. From Ref. 52, by permission.

Restructuring of a surface may occur as a phase change with a transition temperature as with the Si(OOl) surface [23]. It may occur on chemisorption, as in the case of oxygen atoms on a stepped Cu surface [24]. The reverse effect may occur The surface layer for a Pt(lOO) face is not that of a terminal (100) plane but is reconstructed to hexagonal symmetry. On CO adsorption, the reconstruction is lifted, as shown in Fig. XVI-8. 

Evidence for the solvated electron e (aq) can be obtained reaction of sodium vapour with ice in the complete absence of air at 273 K gives a blue colour (cf. the reaction of sodium with liquid ammonia, p. 126). Magnesium, zinc and iron react with steam at elevated temperatures to yield hydrogen, and a few metals, in the presence of air, form a surface layer of oxide or hydroxide, for example iron, lead and aluminium. These reactions are more fully considered under the respective metals. Water is not easily oxidised but fluorine and chlorine are both capable of liberating oxygen ... 

The reactivity of the transition metals towards other elements varies widely. In theory, the tendency to form other compounds both in the solid state (for example reactions to form cations) should diminish along the series in practice, resistance to reaction with oxygen (due to formation of a surface layer of oxide) causes chromium (for example) to behave abnormally hence regularities in reactivity are not easily observed. It is now appropriate to consider the individual transition metals. 

Only the surface layers of the catalyst soHd ate generaHy thought to participate in the reaction (125,133). This implies that while the bulk of the catalyst may have an oxidation state of 4+ under reactor conditions, the oxidation state of the surface vanadium may be very different. It has been postulated that both V" " and V " oxidation states exist on the surface of the catalyst, the latter arising from oxygen chemisorption (133). Phosphoms enrichment is also observed at the surface of the catalyst (125,126). The exact role of this excess surface phosphoms is not weH understood, but it may play a role in active site isolation and consequently, the oxidation state of the surface vanadium. 

Hexagonal boron nitride is relatively stable in oxygen or chlorine up to 700°C, probably because of a protective surface layer of boric oxide. It is attacked by steam at 900°C, and rapidly by hot alkaU or fused alkaU carbonates. It is attacked slowly by many acids as well as alcohols (to form borate esters), acetone, and carbon tetrachloride. It is not wetted by most molten metals or many molten glasses. 

Some elements, such as the rare eartlrs and the refractory metals, have a high afflnity for oxygen, so vaporization of tlrese elements in a irormaT vacuum of about 10 " Pa, would lead to the formation of at least a surface layer of oxide on a deposited flhrr. The evaporation of these elements therefore requires the use of ultra-high vacuum techniques, which can produce a pressure of 10 Pa. 

When a solid metal is attacked by oxygen gas, the product of the reaction is the metal oxide which, if it is not volatile, builds up as a surface layer on the metal. The oxide layer may be protective or non-protective. A non-protective layer does not inhibit the continued access of oxygen to the unchanged metal the rate of growth of such an oxide layer is independent of its thickness X and the law of growth is AX/At =. On integration this gives the linear law... 

In the case of alloys having one constituent considerably more reactive to oxygen than the others, conditions of temperature, pressure and atmosphere may be selected in which the reactive element is preferentially oxidised. Price and Thomas used this technique to develop films of the oxides of beryllium, aluminium, etc. on silver-base alloys, and thereby to confer improved tarnish resistance on these alloys. If conditions are so selected that the inward diffusion of oxygen is faster than outward diffusion of the reactive element, the oxide will be formed as small dispersed particles beneath the surface of the alloy. The phenomenon is known as internal oxidation and is of quite common occurrence, usually in association with a continuous surface layer of oxides of the major constituents of the alloy. 

It is also clear that small changes in the position of points P and Q can have a significant effect on the phase distribution in the surface layers. From the diagrams it is also seen that, when the metal A is saturated with oxygen and sulphur, and therefore the point Q is located at the corner of the rectangle giving the stability area of the metal A, then the innermost phase layer will consist of a mixed sulphide and oxide layer. 

A large deep bath contains molten steel, the surface of which is in contact with air. The oxygen concentration in the bulk of the molten steel is 0.03% by mass and the rate of transfer of oxygen from die ait is sufficiently high to maintain die surface layers saturated at a concentration of 0.16% by weight. The surface of die liquid is disrupted by gas bubbles rising to the surface at a frequency of 120 bubbles per in2 of surface per second, each bubble disrupts and mixes about 15 enr of the surface layer into the bulk. 

Compounds of silicon with oxygen are prevalent in the Earth s crust. About 95% of crastal rock and its various decomposition products (sand, clay, soil) are composed of silicon oxides. In fact, oxygen is the most abundant element in the Earth s crast (45% by mass) and silicon is second (27%). In the Earth s surface layer, four of every five atoms are silicon or oxygen. 

Silicon, like carbon, is relatively inactive at ordinary temperatures. But, when heated, it reacts vigorously with the halogens (fluorine, chlorine, bromine, cmd iodine) to form halides and with certain metals to form silicides. It is unaffected by all acids except hydrofluoric. At red heat, silicon is attacked by water vapor or by oxygen, forming a surface layer of silicon dioxide. When silicon and carbon are combined at electric furnace temperatures of 2,000 to 2,600 °C (3,600 to 4700 °F), they form silicon carbide (Carborundum = SiC), which is an Importeint abrasive. When reacted with hydrogen, silicon forms a series of hydrides, the silanes. Silicon also forms a series of organic silicon compounds called silicones, when reacted with various organic compounds. 

Each of these reactions occurs in its own typical potential range. Several reactions may occur in parallel. The oxidation of solution components and the evolution of oxygen and chlorine are discussed in Chapter 15, the formation of surface layers in Section 16.3. In the present section we discuss anodic metal dissolution. 

In the anodic polarization of metals, surface layers of adsorbed oxygen are almost always formed by reactions of the type of (10.18) occurring in parallel with anodic dissolution, and sometimes, phase layers (films) of tfie metal s oxides or salts are also formed. Oxygen-containing layers often simply are produced upon contact of the metal with the solution (without anodic polarization) or with air (the air-oxidized surface state). 

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