Probing water interactions and vacancy production on gadolinia-doped ceria surfaces using electron stimulated desorption.

Polycrystalline gadolinia-doped ceria (GDC) surfaces were studied using low-energy (5-400 eV) electron stimulated desorption (ESD). H(+), O(+), and H(3)O(+) were the primary cationic desorption products with H(+) as the dominant channel. H(+), H(3)O(+), and O(+) have a 22 eV threshold followed by a yield change around 40 eV. H(+) also has an additional yield change approximately 75 eV and O(+) has an additional change approximately 150 eV. The O(+) ESD yield change approximately 150 eV may indicate bond breaking of Gd-O and the involvement of oxygen vacancies. The H(+) and H(3)O(+) threshold data collectively indicate the presence of hydroxyl groups and chemisorbed water molecules on the GDC surfaces. ESD temperature dependence measurements show that the interaction of water with GDC surface defect sites, mainly oxygen vacancies, influences the desorption of H(+), O(+), and H(3)O(+). The temperature dependence of the O(+) ESD at 400 eV incident electron energy yields a 0.21 eV activation energy. This is close to the energy needed for oxygen vacancy production next to a pair of Ce(3+) on a CeO(2) surface. These results may indicate a correlation between the O(+) ESD yield and oxygen vacancy density on GDC surfaces and a potential correlation of O(+) ESD and GDC ionic conductivity.