Related papers: An Unexpected Role of H During SiC Corrosion in Wa…
Recent experiments on the silicon terminated $3\times 2$ SiC(100) surface indicated an unexpected metallic character upon hydrogen adsorption. This effect was attributed to the bonding of hydrogen to a row of Si atoms and to the…
OH radicals play a key role as an intermediate in the water formation chemistry of the interstellar medium. For example the reaction of OH radicals with H$_2$ molecules is among the final steps in the astrochemical reaction network starting…
Water is abundantly present in the Universe. It is the main component of interstellar ice mantles and a key ingredient for life. Water in space is mainly formed through surface reactions. Three formation routes have been proposed in the…
By simulating the dissociation of O2 molecules on the Be(0001) surface using the first-principles molecular dynamics approach, we propose a new atomistic model for the surface oxidation of sp metals. In our model, only the dissociation of…
The formation of water molecules from the reaction between ozone (O3) and D-atoms is studied experimentally for the first time. Ozone is deposited on non-porous amorphous solid water ice (H2O), and D-atoms are then sent onto the sample held…
U$_3$Si$_2$ nuclear fuel is corroded in deuterated steam with in situ neutron diffraction. Density functional theory is coupled with rigorous thermodynamic description of the hydride including gas/solid entropy contributions. H absorbs in…
Diamond displays outstanding chemical, physical, and tribological properties, making it attractive for numerous applications ranging from biomedicine to tribology. However, the reaction of the materials with molecules present in the air,…
The adsorption properties of isolated H$_{2}$O molecule on stoichiometric and reduced (with on-surface oxygen vacancy) ceria(1111) surfaces at low coverage are theoretically investigated by using density-functional-theory+\emph{U}…
A single water molecule has nothing special. However, macroscopic water displays many anomalous properties at the interface, such as a high surface tension, hydrophobicity and hydrophillicity. Although the underlying mechanism is still…
Silicon together with its native oxide SiO$_2$ was recognized as an outstanding material system for the semiconductor industry in the 1950s. In state-of-the-art device technology, SiO$_2$ is widely used as an insulator in combination with…
In the perspective of long term geological storage, high level nuclear wastes will be overpacked in low carbon steel containers. In that context, we have studied the influence of oxygen dissolved in water on iron corrosion. Therefore,…
Recent reports on the spontaneous formation of H2O2(aq) at the air-water interface and the solid-water interface have been sensational. The speculated mechanism at the air-water interface is based on instantaneous ultrahigh electric fields…
Accurate model predictions of corrosion-driven damage in reinforced concrete structures necessitate a comprehensive understanding of the rate of corrosion product formation. Here, we investigate the influence of dissolved Si characteristic…
SrTiO$_3$ is a highly efficient photocatalyst for the overall water splitting reaction under UV irradiation. However, an atomic-level understanding of the active surface sites responsible for the oxidation and reduction reactions is still…
For the first time, an ab initio molecular dynamics simulation was performed to describe the C$_3$S/water interface. The simulation shows that oxides with favorable environment are protonated at first, creating very stable hydroxide groups.…
While catalytic mechanisms on electrode surfaces have been proposed for decades, the pathways by which the product's chemical bonds evolve from the initial charge-trapping intermediates have not been resolved in time. Here, we discover a…
The efficiency of silicon solar cells gradually decreases in various environments, with humidity being a key factor contributing to this decline through moisture-induced degradation (MID) involving multiple mechanisms including encapsulant…
The deposition of thin SiO$_x$C$_y$H$_z$ or SiO$_x$H$_y$ films by means of atmospheric pressure microplasma jets with admixture of Hexamethyldisiloxane (HMDSO) and oxygen and the role of surface reactions in film growth are investigated.…
Atomic-scale investigations of metal oxide surfaces exposed to aqueous environments are vital to understand degradation phenomena (e.g. dissolution and corrosion) as well as the performance of these materials in applications. Here, we…
Improving reactivity on an insulating surface is crucial due to their important applications in surface catalytic reactions. In this work, we carried out first-principles calculations to investigate the adsorption of O2 on a single-layer…