Hydroxylation of an ultrathin Co3O4(111) film on Ir(100) studied by in situ ambient pressure XPS and DFT
In the present work, we have studied the interaction of water with spinel cobalt oxide (Co3O4), an effect which has been considered a major cause of its catalytic deactivation. Employing a Co3O4(111) model thin film grown on Ir(100) in (ultra)high vacuum, and ambient pressure X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (APXPS), hydroxylation in 0.5 mbar H2O vapor at room temperature was monitored in real tim