METAL-OXIDE SURFACES

Over the past two decades the amount of effort devoted to the study of metal oxides by surface scientists has increased significantly. The g eneral characteristics of the electronic structure of metal-oxide surf aces are now fairly well understood, although transition-metal oxides have been more thoroughly studied than have non-transition-metal oxide s. The geometric arrangement of atoms on the surfaces of a variety of metal oxides has also been determined, Extensive studies have been per formed of the interaction of both molecules and metal atoms with metal oxides, where point defects are found to play a dominant role. Howeve r, our understanding of the surface properties of metal oxides is stil l much less compete than it is for metals and semiconductors, and ther e are several areas where more experimental and theoretical effort nee ds to be concentrated.