Infra-red study of the surface properties of rutile. Water and surface hydroxyl species

Abstract

An infra-red study of the rutile surface has shown that hydroxyl groups and physisorbed water may be removed by thermal activation, and water vapour is readily chemisorbed at room temperature to produce a reversible surface. A model for the surface based on the (110) plane of rutile has enabled interpretation of the spectra indicating two types of hydroxyl groups represented by bands at 3700 and 3670 cm^–1 with the latter being the thermally labile species. The oxide shows strong retention of physically adsorbed water molecules at temperatures up to 300°C.