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W.S.M. Werner, M. Chudzicki, W. Smekal, C.J. Powell:
"Interpretation of nanoparticle X-ray photoelectron intensities";
Applied Physics Letters, 104 (2014), 2431061 - 2431063.

X-ray photoelectron (XPS) intensities have been simulated for spherical core-shell nanoparticles
(NPs) in different geometrical arrangements in order to investigate the validity of commonly made
assumptions for the interpretation of XPS NP intensities. The single-sphere approximation is valid
for a powder sample when all spatial coordinates of the NP positions are uncorrelated. Correlations
along either the depth coordinate or the lateral coordinates lead to features in the angular
distribution that provide information on these correlations. The XPS intensity is proportional to the
surface-to-volume ratio of nanoparticles but only for NP sizes exceeding the inelastic mean free
path of the photoelectrons. VC 2014 AIP Publishing LLC.