Metal Oxide surfaces and films

Dear Colleagues,

The surface science of metal oxides is of immense technological and fundamental interest due to their ubiquitous nature. In addition to their interest as bulk materials, in many situations involving a metal surface, the uppermost layers which interact with the surroundings are actually the oxide. This means the interaction of metal oxides has been studied with reference to catalysts, where they are widely used as supports, in biomaterials science, where the metal oxide passivates and can even impart improved biocompatibility, and in novel photovoltaic devices, where functionalisation of oxide semiconductors with light harvesting dyes, quantum dots and, most recently, novel perovskite materials hold the promise of cheap efficient and renewable energy conversion from sunlight. Even in established technologies such as semiconductor devices, the challenge of miniaturisation is putting commonly used dielectric metal oxides to the test and increasing the demand for more robust materials.

The field of metal oxide surface science is relatively well established, but the fundamental physics and chemistry of these materials is still not fully understood. By properly understanding the interactions between small molecules and metal oxide surfaces, the effects of vacancies and impurities, we have been able to develop new technologies, but there is still more to do. The need for transparent conducting oxides based on earth-rich materials, improving healing rates of biomaterial implants as we live longer, and the development of novel optoelectronic and magnetic materials can all benefit from an understanding of the underlying surface chemistry and physics of metal oxides.

The aim of this Special Issue on Metal Oxide Surfaces is to offer an open-access forum where researchers in metal oxide surface science, materials science and device engineering can demonstrate the importance of these materials in current and future technology.

Dr. Andrew Thomas
Guest Editor

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