Electronic structures of two-dimensional metallic oxides and bronzes

The electronic structures of some molybdenum and tungsten oxides or bronzes exhibiting Peierls transitions are investigated at room temperature. The detection of a weak conduction band, well separated from a large valence band, evidences the metallic character of each oxide. The distributions of the valences of the different transition metals are analyzed by XPS. In each oxide, the presence of atleast two contributive components to the main core levels reveals a mixed valence state of the transition metal. But the proportions of the different components do not reflect the distribution of the cationic valences, as expected from the crystallographic structures. To understand this disagreement, we suggest that two alternative ways, including or rejecting a screening effect generated by the conduction electrons contribute to the photoemission processes and alter the real distribution of the cationic charges.