Invited Paper SS2-WeA4
Revealing Atomic Structures on Oxide Surfaces with the Dynamic Force Microscope

Wednesday, October 17, 2007, 2:40 pm, Room 611

Nanostructures on oxides are most important in numerous fields of science and technology. One of the most prominent ones is chemical catalysis where oxides play a major role as support, storage material and in providing catalytically active centres. Dynamic scanning force microscopy (SFM) operated in the non-contact mode is the method of choice for the atomic scale characterisation of oxide surfaces and nanostructures on surfaces. The state of the art in highest resolution dynamic SFM on oxide systems is illustrated for structures on CeO₂(111), TiO₂(110), and Al₂O₃/Ni₃Al(111). Individual atoms and atomic arrangements can be imaged and in some cases a quantitative understanding of atomic contrast formation can be obtained with the help of atomistic simulations. Defects are revealed to play a major role in surface chemical reactions studied at the atomic scale while the dynamic SFM also facilitates the manipulation of molecules on oxide surfaces.