Study of electro-chemical properties of metal–oxide interfaces using a newly constructed ambient pressure X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy endstation

In this report, we briefly describe the general design principles and construction of a newly developed ambient pressure X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy system. This system provides an imaging mode with <20 μm spatial resolution in one dimension as well as an angle-resolved mode. The new imaging mode enables us to study structured surfaces under catalytically and environmentally relevant conditions. To illustrate this capability, in situ studies on a Au–SiO2 heterojunction and Rh–TiO2 metal–support system are presented. This new system can probe structured surfaces near ambient pressure as a function of temperature, pressure, electrical potential, local position, and time. It is a valuable in situ tool to detect material transformations at the micrometer scale.