Composition, structure, and stability of the rutile TiO_2(110) surface: oxygen depletion, hydroxylation, hydrogen migration and water adsorption

TL;DR

This study uses density functional theory to map the phase diagram of the rutile TiO_2(110) surface, revealing how oxygen, hydrogen, and water interact with it under various conditions, and providing insights into surface stability and migration behaviors.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive thermodynamic phase diagram of TiO_2(110) surfaces considering gas interactions, and critically evaluates the accuracy of density functionals for reduced surfaces.

Findings

Water fully covers the surface under ambient conditions.

Oxygen vacancies form in reducing environments.

Hydrogen prefers to migrate into the bulk rather than desorb.

Abstract

A comprehensive phase diagram of lowest-energy structures and compositions of the rutile TiO_2(110) surface in equilibrium with a surrounding gas phase at finite temperatures and pressures has been determined using density functional theory in combination with a thermodynamic formalism. The exchange of oxygen, hydrogen, and water molecules with the gas phase is considered. Particular attention is given to the convergence of all calculations with respect to lateral system size and slab thickness. In addition, the reliability of semilocal density functionals to describing the energetics of the reduced surfaces is critically evaluated. For ambient conditions the surface is found to be fully covered by molecularly adsorbed water. At low coverages, in the limit of single, isolated water molecules, molecular and dissociative adsorption become energetically degenerate. Oxygen vacancies form in strongly reducing, oxygen-poor environments. However, already at slightly more moderate conditions it is shown that removing full TiO_2 units from the surface is thermodynamically preferred. In agreement with recent experimental observations it is furthermore confirmed that even under extremely hydrogen-rich environments the surface cannot be fully hydroxylated, but only a maximum coverage with hydrogen of about 0.6-0.7 monolayer can be reached. Finally, calculations of migration paths strongly suggest that hydrogen prefers to diffuse into the bulk over desorbing from the surface into the gas phase.