'Hot' oxygen atoms on titanium dioxide motivated by more than just temperature

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An oxygen molecule (yellow top right) splits when encountering a vacancy on a titanium oxide surface. One atom fills the vacancy and the other can move a couple spaces away (bottom right).
An oxygen molecule (yellow, top right) splits when encountering a vacancy on a titanium oxide surface. One atom fills the vacancy and the other can move a couple spaces away (bottom right).

Like two ballroom dancers waltzing together, the two atoms of an oxygen molecule severed by a metal catalyst usually behave identically. But new research reveals that on a particular catalyst, split oxygen atoms act like a couple dancing the tango: one oxygen atom plants itself while the other shimmies away, probably with energy partially stolen from the stationary one.


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All News summaries for February 09, 2008

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