Wet chemically prepared rutile TiO_2(110) and TiO_2(011): Substrate preparation for surface studies under non-UHV conditions

摘要

A procedure for wet chemical preparation of TiO_2 single crystal surfaces is detailed. The potential of this procedure is demonstrated through application to rutile-TiO_2(110) and rutile-TiO_2(011) substrates. Characterisation with atomic force microscopy, low energy electron diffraction, auger electron spectroscopy, and vibrational sum frequency spectroscopy indicates that flat, well-ordered, carbon-free surfaces can be generated. Notably, in contrast to the (2×1) low energy electron diffraction pattern observed for TiO_2(011) prepared in ultra-high vacuum, wet chemical preparation results in a (4 × 1) unit cell; wet chemically prepared TiO_2( 110) displays an unreconstructed (1×1) surface.