Fe2O3-WO3 nanosystems synthesized by a hybrid CVD/sputtering route, and analyzed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy

Fe2O3-WO3 nanosystems have been grown on metallic Ti substrates by a hybrid chemical vapor deposition (CVD) / Radio Frequency (RF)-sputtering route. The obtained specimens have been characterized in their structure, morphology and chemical composition by means of X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission-scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Herein, a detailed XPS investigation of a representative sample is proposed. In addition to the wide scan spectrum, particular attention is dedicated to the analysis of O 1s, Fe 2p, W 4f, and W 4d core levels. The obtained results suggested the formation of pure Fe2O3-WO3 composites, in which each oxide maintained its chemical identity.