Oxide surfaces as environmental interfaces [review article]

Environmental molecular surface science is an expanding area of current research. This review focuses on advances in the molecular level understanding of oxide surfaces as they play an important role in several environmental chemical processes. Oxide surfaces are often used as catalysts and adsorbents in environmental remediation. The surface of oxide particles in the troposphere can adsorb and catalyze reactions of trace gases and thus change the chemical balance of the atmosphere. Mineral oxide surfaces in contact with ground water can adsorb and catalyze reactions of pollutant molecules. Surface science studies of these environmental chemical processes provide the basis for delineating molecular-level information about surface structure under environmentally relevant conditions, adsorbate-surface interactions, surface reaction mechanisms, structure-reactivity relationships and an overall understanding of these processes on the molecular level. In order to glean insights into environmental processes, these studies need to be done under environmentally relevant conditions of temperature, pressure and relative humidity. Thus the need for the further development and use of techniques that can be employed under ambient conditions are discussed.