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Updated: Jul 8, 2026

Synthesis and Reaction Chemistry of Nanosize Monosodium Titanate
Published on: February 23, 2016
Electron transfer-induced dynamics of oxygen molecules on the TiO2(110) surface
Erik Wahlström1, Ebbe Kruse Vestergaard, Renald Schaub
1Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Center (iNANO), Center for Atomic-Scale Materials Physics (CAMP), and Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Aarhus, DK-8000 Arhus C, Denmark.
Abstract:
Diffusion of oxygen molecules on transition metal oxide surfaces plays a vital role for the understanding of catalysis and photocatalysis on these materials. By means of time-resolved scanning tunneling microscopy, we provide evidence for a charge transfer-induced diffusion mechanism for O2 molecules adsorbed on a rutile TiO2(110) surface. The O2 hopping rate depended on the number of surface donors (oxygen vacancies), which determines the density of conduction band electrons. These results may have implications for the understanding of oxidation processes on metal oxides in general.
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