Solid-State Reactivity at Heterophase Interfaces

Chemical reactivity at heterophase interfaces is reviewed with a special focus on metal-oxide and oxide-oxide interfaces. Equilibrium chemistry of interfaces is discussed in terms of processes at the macroscopic and atomic level. The dependency on thermodynamic and crystallographic variables is described and illustrated by experimental results. Any reaction-related motion of an interface is associated with numerous transport and reaction steps that include not only atom transfer across the interface, chemical reactions between species and defects and phase transitions, but also steps accommodating lattice mismatch and volume changes. Faceting and morphology evolution of interfaces are included in the considerations.