Potassium
Doublet Separations
- K 2p: 2.8 eV
The Energies Listed are Binding Energies!
The Energies Listed are Binding Energies!
- K 2s: 377 eV
- K 2p: 292 eV
- K 3s: 34 eV
- K 3p: 18 eV
The Energies Listed are Binding Energies!
K is primarily analysed via the 2p orbital
- C 1s (284 eV)
- Tb 4p (286 eV)
- Gd 4p (289 eV)
- Os 4d (290 eV)
- Ce 4s (290 eV)
- Dy 4p (293 eV)
- Ir 4d (285 eV)
- Ra 4f (299 eV)
Energies listed are Kinetic Energies!
K LMM: ~ 247 eV
The Energies Listed are Binding Energies!
| Species | Binding energy / eV | Charge Ref | Ref |
| K(0) | 294.7 | Ag Ef (0 eV) | 1 |
| KF | 293.1 | C 1s (285 eV) | 2 |
| KBr | 293 | C 1s (285 eV) | 2 |
| KCl | 293.1 | C 1s (285 eV) | 2 |
| KI | 293 | C 1s (285 eV) | 2 |
| KNO3 | 292.9 | C 1s (285 eV) | 3 |
| KClO4 | 293.8 | C 1s (285 eV) | 2 |
| KClO8 | 293.4 | C 1s (285 eV) | 2 |
| K3PO4 | 292.7 | C 1s (285 eV) | 2 |
| K4P2O7 | 292.4 | C 1s (285 eV) | 2 |
Unlike sodium, potassium exhibits a sizeable shift in the binding energy for different chemical states. Potassium has a larger atomic radius than sodium, meaning its outer electrons are further from the nucleus and experience less effective nuclear charge, making it more sensitive to changes in the chemical environment and leading to larger shifts in binding energy. Additionally, potassium is less electronegative than sodium, which makes its core electrons more susceptible to changes in the surrounding chemical environment.
It is typical to record the K 2p and C 1s as a single region, to save time.
Given the closeness of K 2p and C 1s, it is likely easier to fit an entire region around both emissions, and model using individual peaks, than attempt to fit individual background traces – especially if there are high BE carbons present.
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- Petersson, L. G., and S. E. Karlsson. “Clean and oxygen exposed potassium studied by photoelectron spectroscopy.” Physica Scripta 16.5-6 (1977): 425. Read it online here.
- Morgan, Wayne E., John R. Van Wazer, and Wojciech J. Stec. “Inner-orbital photoelectron spectroscopy of the alkali metal halides, perchlorates, phosphates, and pyrophosphates.” Journal of the American Chemical Society 95.3 (1973): 751-755. Read it online here.
- Nefedov, V. I., et al. “A comparison of different spectrometers and charge corrections used in X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy.” Journal of Electron Spectroscopy and Related Phenomena 10.2 (1977): 121-124. Read it online here.
