Segregation of hydrogen at internal Ag/MgO (metal/oxide)-interfaces as observed by small angle neutron scattering Original Research Article

The chemical composition of metal/oxide (M/O)-interfaces was studied for an internally oxidized Ag–1at.%Mg-alloy with small MgO nanoprecipitates in a dilute Ag matrix. This composition was varied by exposing the sample to oxygen (p(O2) = 2 × 104 Pa), hydrogen (p(H2) = 105 Pa) or vacuum (p<10−4 Pa). By means of small angle neutron scattering (SANS) we were able to show that hydrogen segregates at the internal Ag/MgO-interfaces. The average hydrogen occupancy at the Ag/MgO-phase boundary can be determined to be ΘH=(7.1±0.5)×1014 H/cm2. In addition it could be shown that for each segregated hydrogen atom one Ag atom is displaced from the M/O-interface. The amount of hydrogen at the interfaces is in agreement with a model of structural vacancies at densely packed interface planes. To the best of our knowledge these are the first SANS-measurements that provide information about the segregation of hydrogen and deuterium at internal interfaces.