A study of surface oxidised iron particles with X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) at the Fe:K,L₂,L₃ edges and the O:K edge is presented. Powder samples were prepared by ball milling and subsequently thermally treated in vacuum or air. The XAS study of the samples and the reference Fe oxides in the XANES range of the Fe:K edge has been carried out at the synchrotron laboratory HASYLAB, Hamburg. Simultaneous measurements in the transmission geometry and total electron yield (TEY) have been carried out. The transmission spectra which correspond to probing of the bulk do not reveal the presence of iron oxides within 1% error margin, except for the the sample annealed in air at 300 ^oC. Its spectrum consists of the contributions of 95% metallic Fe, 4% magnetite and 1% hematite. The TEY spectrum of the sample, which corresponds to a few hundreds of nanometers probing depth, contains contributions of 45% metallic Fe, 42% magnetite and 13% hematite. Taking into account different probing depths of both methods the average thickness of the oxide layer could be determined. The XANES spectra of the samples studied and the reference oxides at the Fe:L₂,L₃ edges, O:K edge and the EXAFS spectra at the O:K edge have been measured at the synchrotron laboratory ELETTRA, Trieste. The TEY detection mode was used, which in the case of the Fe:L edges and the O:K edge has the probing depth of a few nanometers. The O:K edge XANES spectra and their derivatives as well as the EXAFS spectra have been fitted with a linear combination of the spectra of the reference oxides. This provided the information on the content of individual oxide species in the surface layers, which is particularly valuable for the samples thermally untreated and annealed in vacuum, where the oxide layer is of nanometric thickness.

• Legal notice:
  

  Copyright (c) Pielaszek Research, all rights reserved.
  The above materials, including auxiliary resources, are subject to Publisher's copyright and the Author(s) intellectual rights. Without limiting Author(s) rights under respective Copyright Transfer Agreement, no part of the above documents may be reproduced without the express written permission of Pielaszek Research, the Publisher. Express permission from the Author(s) is required to use the above materials for academic purposes, such as lectures or scientific presentations.
  In every case, proper references including Author(s) name(s) and URL of this webpage: https://science24.com/paper/11974 must be provided.

1. Valence band of tungsten compounds probed using 2p5d RIXS
2. A study of surface oxidised Fe particles with Mössbauer spectroscopy
3. Magnetite-based nanoparticles as contrast agents for MRI
4. Structural, magnetic and electronic properties of surface oxidised Fe nanoparticles
5. Transport properties in the pseudobinary Er₅Si₄ compound
6. NMR study of (Sr,Ba,La)₂Fe_1+xMo_1-xO₆ double perovskites
7. A ⁵⁵Mn NMR study of La_0.33Nd_0.33Ca_0.34MnO₃ with ¹⁶O and ¹⁸O
8. NMR study of La_1-xSr_xMnO₃ compounds
9. XANES and X-MCD study of Nd₂TM₁₇A_x (TM=Fe, Co; A=N,H) compounds