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Ultrathin (111)-oriented polar iron oxide films were grown on a Pt(111) single crystal either by the reactive deposition of iron or oxidation of metallic iron monolayers. These films were characterized using low energy electron diffraction, scanning tunneling microscopy and conversion electron Mossbauer spectroscopy. The reactive deposition of Fe led to the island growth of Fe 3 O 4 , in which the electronic and magnetic properties of the bulk material were modulated by superparamagnetic size effects for thicknesses below 2 nm, revealing specific surface and interface features. In contrast, the oxide films with FeO stoichiometry, which could be stabilized as thick as 4 nm under special preparation conditions, had electronic and magnetic properties that were very different from their bulk counterpart, wüstite. Unusual long range magnetic order appeared at room temperature for thicknesses between three and ten monolayers, the appearance of which requires severe structural modification from the rock-salt structure. PACS: 68.47.Gh Oxide surfaces, 68.55.-a Thin film structure and morphology, 75.70.Ak Magnetic properties of monolayers and thin films, 81.15.-z Methods of deposition of films and coatings; film growth and epitaxy, 82.80.Ej X-ray, Mössbauer, and other γ-ray spectroscopic analysis methods

The cerium oxidation state in novel calixarene-supported cerium(IV) β-diketonate complexes [p-tBu-calix[4](OMe)2(O)2]Ce(acac)2 (1) and [p-tBu-calix[4](OMe)2(O)2]Ce(hfac)2 (2), which are a new class of potential precursors for homogeneous oxidative transformations, has been determined using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Cerium oxidation states between 3.6 and 3.65 were detected, distinctly different from their nominal value of +4. An X-ray induced photoreduction of these compounds was detected. Because of the observed stability of the X-ray modified oxidation state under ambient conditions this effect might be used for a long-standing fine tuning of the Ce oxidation state in cerium calixarenes.

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Low temperature scanning tunneling microscopy/ scanning tunneling spectroscopy, room temperature atomic force microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy of the boron ions implanted into the magnesium substrate were performed in order to get information about the local superconducting behavior of thin MgBx film. Results confirm the island superconductivity far from the percolation threshold of the bulk superconducting MgB2 sample.