On the quantitative XPS analysis of Fe2O3 and Fe1-xO oxides

A recent paper by Yamashita and Hayes [T. Yamashita, P. Hayes, J. Electron Spectrosc. Relat. Phenom. 152 (2006) 6], concerned with quantitative XPS analysis of iron oxides, is commented upon. It is pointed out that these authors propose the ambiguous and misleading view that the Fe 3p spectrum of (paramagnetic) iron oxides involves a “single peak”. It is also stressed the fact that such a spectrum involves high-binding-energy satellites, the intensity of which should be considered as part of the true, total intensity of the Fe 3p transition in view of quantitative purposes.