X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy: Studies from industrial &bioactive glass to biomaterials

A. W. Wren, F. R. Laffir, N. P. Mellot, M. R. Towler

    Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingChapterpeer-review

    Abstract

    X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) is a powerful research tool for the study of chemical and physical phenomenon occurring at surfaces of a wide range of materials. It was developed at the University of Uppsala, Sweden in the 1940-50s and works on the principle of the photoelectric effect in which soft X-rays (Mg and Al Kα x-ray) are used as the exciting photon source. The emitted photoelectrons have a kinetic energy distribution consisting of discrete peaks related to the binding energies of the photoionized atom and provide information on the electronic structure of a surface and its chemical composition. XPS is also a sensitive probe of the chemical environment or oxidation state of surface species. Since its development XPS has been applied for analysing many types of materials including metals, polymers, ceramics, composites, glasses, semiconductors and biological samples. More recently there has been an increase in the use of XPS in the characterisation of biomaterials where surface interactions play a key role in the success and longevity of an implanted biomaterial. The development of oxide glasses is one key area that benefits from the use of XPS where information relating to the composition and bulk structural properties can be determined. This can aid in better design of these materials and the ability to tailor towards specific applications. The growing use of XPS is reflected in the increase in publications. The number of XPS papers published in 2007 (5469) is almost double that published in 1997 (2830). This growth can be attributed to the fact that XPS can be successfully applied to a large variety of materials.

    Original languageEnglish
    Title of host publicationX-Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy
    PublisherNova Science Publishers, Inc.
    Pages1-30
    Number of pages30
    ISBN (Print)9781616689155
    Publication statusPublished - Jan 2011

    Fingerprint

    Dive into the research topics of 'X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy: Studies from industrial &bioactive glass to biomaterials'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

    Cite this