Nano letters

1530-69922092020Sep09Nano lettersNano LettUltrathin Free-Standing Oxide Membranes for Electron and Photon Spectroscopy Studies of Solid-Gas and Solid-Liquid Interfaces.636463716364-637110.1021/acs.nanolett.0c01801Free-standing ultrathin (∼2 nm) films of several oxides (Al₂O₃,TiO₂, and others) have been developed, which are mechanically robust and transparent to electrons with E_kin ≥ 200 eV and to photons. We demonstrate their applicability in environmental X-ray photoelectron and infrared spectroscopy for molecular level studies of solid-gas (≥1 bar) and solid-liquid interfaces. These films act as membranes closing a reaction cell and as substrates and electrodes for electrochemical reactions. The remarkable properties of such ultrathin oxides membranes enable atomic/molecular level studies of interfacial phenomena, such as corrosion, catalysis, electrochemical reactions, energy storage, geochemistry, and biology, in a broad range of environmental conditions.LuYi-HsienYH0000-0001-6572-5553Materials Sciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720, United States.MoralesCarlosC0000-0001-5890-1950Materials Sciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720, United States.Departamento de Física Aplicada and Instituto de Ciencia de Materiales Nicolás Cabrera, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Francisco Tomás y Valiente 7, 28049 Madrid, Spain.ZhaoXiaoX0000-0003-1079-664XMaterials Sciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720, United States.Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720, United States.van SpronsenMatthijs AMA0000-0002-5136-2816Materials Sciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720, United States.BaskinArtemA0000-0002-3156-6256Molecular Foundry, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720, United States.PrendergastDavidDMolecular Foundry, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720, United States.YangPeidongP0000-0003-4799-1684Materials Sciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720, United States.Department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720, United States.BechtelHans AHAAdvanced Light Source, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720, United States.BarnardEdward SESMolecular Foundry, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720, United States.OgletreeD FrankDFMolecular Foundry, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720, United States.AltoeVirginiaVMolecular Foundry, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720, United States.SorianoLeonardoL0000-0001-5715-376XDepartamento de Física Aplicada and Instituto de Ciencia de Materiales Nicolás Cabrera, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Francisco Tomás y Valiente 7, 28049 Madrid, Spain.SchwartzbergAdam MAM0000-0001-6335-0719Molecular Foundry, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720, United States.SalmeronMiquelM0000-0002-2887-8128Materials Sciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720, United States.Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720, United States.engJournal ArticleResearch Support, Non-U.S. Gov'tResearch Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.20200821