CORE AND VALENCE-BAND PHOTOELECTRON SPECTROSCOPIC STUDIES OF NICKEL OXIDATION IN AN ANAEROBIC LIQUID CELL

An apparatus is described that allows studies to be made of the solid-liquid interface. The apparatus is linked to an X-ray photoelectron spectrometer, allowing an investigation of the changes in surface chemistry at this interface. The corrosion of nickel under various conditions is examined using this apparatus. This study focuses on the surface chemical changes associated with the exposure of nickel to deoxygenated and oxygenated solutions of water and sodium chloride. Deoxygenated water causes negligible oxidation, but oxygenated water causes a slight increase in oxidation. The presence of chloride ions causes a dramatic increase in nickel corrosion. Angle-resolved studies show that the surface is enriched in adsorbed water and nickel hydroxide.