Water Vapor and Alcohol Vapor Induced Healing of the Nanostructured KBr Surface

Using atomic force microscopy in the pressure range of 10-10 mbar to several tens of mbar at room temperature, we demonstrate the restructuring of nanostructured KBr surfaces assisted by the presence of water, methanol, and ethanol vapors and the formation of solvation islands. On a flat KBr surface, the two-dimensional solvation islands start nucleating at the step edges and grow with time and with increasing relative pressure. Solvation islands of water wet the terraces; however, solvation islands of methanol and ethanol are localized around the step edges and do not wet the terraces. Two processes are observed on nanostructured KBr surfaces: the movement of the atomic steps and the formation of solvation islands. The first process takes place at comparatively lower pressures at around 1% relative pressure, whereas the second process starts at higher pressures at around 25% relative pressure and above. Furthermore, the second process takes place only after the complete relocation of the step edges and thereby formation of a nearly flat surface. This implies that there is a competition between the restructuring of the atomic steps and solvation layer formation, as both processes require solvated ions. Unlike in the case of a flat surface, solvation islands of alcohols wet the restructured surface due to a higher density of low-coordination sites.