Structure of a thin oxide film on Rh(100)

The initial oxidation of Rh(100) has been studied using high resolution core level spectroscopy, low energy electron diffraction, surface x-ray diffraction, scanning tunneling microscopy, and density functional theory. We report a structural study of an oxygen induced structure displaying a c(8x2) periodicity at an oxygen pressure above 10(-5) mbar and using a sample temperature of 700 K. Our experimental and theoretical data demonstrate that this structure is due to the formation of a thin surface oxide with a hexagonal trilayer O-Rh-O structure