The Hydration Structure at Yttria-Stabilized Cubic Zirconia (110)-Water Interface with Sub-Ångström Resolution.
The interfacial hydration structure of yttria-stabilized cubic zirconia (110) surface in contact with water was determined with ~0.5 Å resolution by high-resolution X-ray reflectivity measurement. The terminal layer shows a reduced electron density compared to the following substrate lattice layers, which indicates there are additional defects generated by metal depletion as well as intrinsic oxygen vacancies, both of which are apparently filled by water species. Above this top surface layer, two additional adsorbed layers are observed forming a characteristic interfacial hydration structure. The first adsorbed layer shows abnormally high density as pure water and likely includes metal species, whereas the second layer consists of pure water. The observed interfacial hydration structure seems responsible for local equilibration of the defective surface in water and eventually regulating the long-term degradation processes. The multitude of water interactions with the zirconia surface results in the complex but highly ordered interfacial structure constituting the reaction front.
High Pressure Collaborative Access Team, Geophysical Laboratory, Carnegie Institution of Washington, Argonne, IL 60439, USA.
Binyang
B
Hou
Department of Nuclear Science and Engineering, School of Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology, Ulsan 44919, South Korea.
Seunghyun
S
Kim
Department of Nuclear Science and Engineering, School of Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology, Ulsan 44919, South Korea.
Taeho
T
Kim
Materials Science Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, IL 60439, USA.
Jongjin
J
Kim
Materials Science Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, IL 60439, USA.|Department of Materials Science and Engineering, KAIST, Daejeon 34141, South Korea.
Seungbum
S
Hong
School of Mechanical Engineering, Pusan National University, Pusan 46241, South Korea.
Chi Bum
CB
Bahn
High Pressure Collaborative Access Team, Geophysical Laboratory, Carnegie Institution of Washington, Argonne, IL 60439, USA.
Changyong
C
Park
Department of Nuclear Science and Engineering, School of Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology, Ulsan 44919, South Korea.
Ji Hyun
JH
Kim