IR SPECTROSCOPIC MONITORING OF NEW CHEMISTRY ON THE SURFACE OF NANOMETER-SIZED METAL-OXIDE PARTICLES

Special techniques of chemical gas phase deposition permit the product ion of nanometer-sized metal oxide particles, e.g. MgO and ZrO2. The r eactivity of isolated hydroxyl groups on their surfaces towards molecu lar deuterium at ambient temperature is studied by the aid of FT-IR sp ectroscopy. The relative surface concentration of the different types of OH groups is strongly influenced by thermal treatment and may be ad ditionally modified by doping the oxide with other cations (e.g. Ca2in MgO). (C) 1997 Elsevier Science B.V.