LAUSR

Iron can form numerous oxides, hydroxides, and oxide−hydroxides. Despite their relevance, many of the transformation processes between these phases are still poorly understood. In particular the crystallization of quasi-amorphous hydroxides and oxide−hydroxides is difficult to assess, since typical diffraction and scattering methods provide only sample-averaged information about the crystallized phases. We report a new approach for the investigation of the crystallization of oxide−hydroxides. The approach relies on model-type films that comprise a defined homogeneous nanostructure. The nanostructure allows quantitative linking of information obtained by bulk-averaging diffraction techniques (XRD, SAXS) with locally resolved information, i.e., domain sizes (SEM, TEM, LEEM) and phase composition (SAED). Using time-resolved imaging and diffraction we deduce mechanism and kinetics for the crystallization of ferrihydrite into hematite. Hematite forms via nucleation of hematite domains and subsequent domain gro...