Effect of anisotropic electron transfer on the reactive nucleation of oxide nanowires

• Published in: Chemical physics letters Vol. 750; p. 137505
• Main Authors: Zheng, Yao-Ting, He, Min, Cheng, Guang-xu, Zhang, Zaoxiao, Tan, Jianping, Xuan, Fu-Zhen, Wang, Zhengdong
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier B.V 01.07.2020
• Subjects: Electron transfer; Kelvin probe force microscopy; Nucleation; Oxide nanowire; Surface; Electron transfer; Nucleation; Oxide nanowire; Kelvin probe force microscopy; Surface
• ISSN: 0009-2614; 1873-4448
• DOI: 10.1016/j.cplett.2020.137505

[Display omitted] •Sharp-tip discharge could accelerate the O2 dissociation.•Energy barrier for O2 dissociation varies on the discharge intensity.•Electrical potential is inhomogeneous on the oxide layer.•The transfer of electron is anisotropic across the oxide layer. The traditional wisdom that the transfer of electron is isotropic across the oxide layer in Cabrera-Mott model, is powerless in the explanation of reactive nucleation of oxide NWs. In the study, the effect of electron transfer on the dissociation reaction around the tip of oxide NWs is uncovered using molecular dynamics simulation. Based on the simulation, a tip-reaction model is proposed in the interpretation of nucleation of oxide NWs and verified by kelvin probe force microscopy testing. The anisotropy of electron transfer across the oxide layer is found to play a key role in the reactive nucleation of oxide NWs.