Identical regions of partially reduced TiO2(110) surfaces with bridge-bonded oxygen vacancy (BBO(V)) concentrations of approximately 10% ML (1 ML = 5.2 x 10(14) cm(-2)) were imaged using scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) before and after dosing H2O at ambient temperature (approximately 300 K). Atomically resolved images confirm that H2O adsorbs dissociatively on the BBO(V) sites, producing two hydroxyl species, one positioned at BBO(V) and denoted OH(V) and the other, denoted OH(B), formed by protonation at either of the two nearest-neighbor bridge-bonded oxygen atoms. Hydrogen hopping along the [001] direction is observed at ambient temperature, with a strong preference for OH(B) (approximately 10x) hydrogen motion. This powerful imbalance demonstrates the inequality of OH(V) and OH(B) and suggests differences in their charge and/or binding configuration.

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Identification of charge transfer and trapping sites on semiconducting oxide surfaces is of fundamental importance in furthering the field of heterogeneous photocatalysts. Using scanning tunneling microscopy, electron energy loss spectroscopy, and photodesorption, we observed both electron trapping and hole transfer events on the (110) surface of TiO2 rutile. UV irradiation of a saturated monolayer of trimethyl acetate (TMA) on TiO2(110) at room temperature resulted in hole transfer to the carboxylate group, followed by (CH3)3C-COO bond cleavage and desorption of CO2 and isobutene/isobutane. Hole transfer to TMA proceeded in the absence of a gas-phase electron scavenger (which is typically O2) because the accompanying photogenerated electrons could be trapped at the surface as Ti3+ cations bound to bridging OH groups. The extent of electron trapping, gauged by electron spectroscopy, correlated directly with the yields of photodesorption fragments resulting from the hole transfer channel. Charge at the Ti3+ sites was titrated in the dark via a reaction between O2 and the Ti3+-OH groups.