Electronic structure of layered titanate Nd₂Ti₂O₇

The electronic structure of the binary titanate Nd2Ti2O7 has been studied by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Spectral features of the valence band and all constituent element core levels have been considered. The Auger parameters of titanium and oxygen in Nd2Ti2O7 are determined as alpha(Ti) = 873.5 and alpha(o) = 1042.2 eV. Chemical bonding effects have been discussed with the binding energies differences (sic)(i) = (BE O 1s - BE Ti 2P(3/2)) = 71.5 eV and (sic)(Nd) = (BE Nd 3d(5/2) - BE 0 1s) = 452.5 eV as key parameters in comparison with those in other titanium- and neodymium-bearing oxides. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.