Generalized molybdenum oxide surface chemical state XPS determination via informed amorphous sample model.

Accurate elemental oxidn. state detn. for the outer surface of a complex material is of crucial importance in many science and engineering disciplines, including chem., fundamental and applied surface science, catalysis, semiconductors and many others. XPS is the primary tool used for this purpose. The spectral data obtained, however, is often very complex and can be subject to incorrect interpretation. Unlike traditional XPS spectra fitting procedures using purely synthetic spectral components, here the authors develop and present an XPS data processing method based on vector anal. that allows creating XPS spectral components by incorporating key information, obtained exptl. XPS spectral data, obtained from series of molybdenum oxide samples with varying oxidn. states and degree of crystallinity, were processed using this method and the corresponding oxidn. states present, as well as their relative distribution was elucidated. Monitoring the evolution of the chem. and crystal structure of a molybdenum oxide sample due to an invasive x-ray probe could be used to infer solns. to complex spectral envelopes. [on SciFinder(R)]