Emission of O- Radical Anions from a Solid Electrolyte Surface into the Gas Phase

We have observed the emission of O- radical anions from a solid electrolyte surface. A simple experimental apparatus was designed to incorporate a gap between a YSZ (yttria stabilized zirconia) anode and a stainless steel space electrode. By applying a DC voltage of 100 V across the gap, O- radical anions and electrons were produced which could be detected using a quadrupole mass spectrometer. Recently, Greber et al.. reported the observation of O- radical anion emission from a cesium-coated surface when the surface was exposed to thermal oxygen molecules. However, this method cannot maintain O- emission without adsorbed oxygen molecules. In the present work, the possibility of obtaining continuous emission of O- from a YSZ surface was examined.