Oxide nanostructures on a Nb surface and related systems: experiments and ab initio calculations

This review discusses the state of the art in two related research areas: the surfaces of niobium and of its related Group IV–VI transition elements; and surface (primarily oxide) nanostructures that form on niobium (or Group IV–VI d-metals) due to gas adsorption or impurity diffusion from the bulk. Experimental (X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, photoelectron diffraction, scanning tunneling microscopy) and theoretical (ab initio simulation) results on d-metal surfaces are summarized and reviewed.