# Low‐ Temperature Transformations in Amorphous Silica Bilayers on Ru(0001) After Crystal‐Glass Transition: Closer Look

## TL;DR

This study investigates structural changes in silica films on a metal surface at low temperatures using advanced microscopy and calculations.

## Contribution

The work reveals low-energy structural transformations in silica films at room temperature, supported by real-space imaging and computational analysis.

## Key findings

- Structural transformations in silica bilayers occur at room temperature, not requiring high energy.
- Density functional calculations explain the role of the metal support in transformation energetics.
- Fast-scanning STM provides real-space evidence of ring-opening processes in silica films.

## Abstract

The crystal‐glass transition concerning silicon dioxide has been a topic of intense research. It has been possible to prepare a bilayer silica film on a metal substrate and study the corresponding transition in real space using scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). While the initial trigger of the transition has been identified as a so‐called Stone–Wales ring‐opening process, which requires rather high energies/temperatures, a question has been, whether there are similar follow‐up processes, which require much less energy and thus rather moderate temperatures. Although observations have been reported using electron microscopy, it remains unclear whether, in this case, the modifications were initiated by the measurement itself. Here, we report on a fast‐scanning STM study, allowing a study in real space and indicating structural transformations at room temperature. The experimental results are supported by demanding density functional calculations, which allow for an understanding of the involved ring structure modifying processes. The calculations also reveal the influence of the metal support on the transformation energetics.

In this work we report on the ring opening of the silica film as studied by fast‐scanning scanning tunneling microscopy together with density functional calculations. The results reveal the influence of the metal support on the transformation energetics.