XPES studies of oxides of second- and third-row metals including rare earths

X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy has been employed to investigate oxides of second- and third-row transition metals including rare earths. Systematics in the spin-orbit splittings and the binding energies of core levels of the metals have been described. In most of the cases studied, the dependence of the spin-orbit splittings on the atomic number, Z is given by the relation E=a (Z.Zo)4 where a is the quantum defect parameter and Zo is the effective screening. Core level binding ener.gies are found to increase with the oxidation state of the metal. Most of the core level binding energies are related to the atomic number, Z by the expression Ex=x (Z-Zo)2, giving rise to linear Ln E - ln Z plots. Specific features of individual oxides, with respect to satellites, multiplet structure, configuration mixing and so on have been discussed. (author)