Oxidezoals

Oxidezoals is a neologism used in Dutch-language discussions of materials science and mineralogy to describe substances or surfaces that exhibit oxide-like characteristics without being traditional oxides. The term combines oxide with zoals, meaning “such as” or “like,” signaling a descriptive category rather than a strict chemical class.

Scope and meaning: Oxidezoals can refer to materials whose surface chemistry, electronic structure, or local coordination resembles that of oxides. This includes non-oxide materials that mimic oxide motifs, oxide-inspired frameworks, or composites in which oxide components are present in low concentration or in environments that emphasize oxide-like behavior.

Applications and examples: In catalysis, oxidezoals materials can show redox behavior, oxygen storage, or acid-base properties similar to metal oxides. In materials engineering, oxidezoals coatings or interfaces are studied for their expected oxide-like stability or reactivity, even when the bulk material is not an oxide. In geology or mineralogy, surfaces may be described as oxidezoals when their reactive properties resemble oxide minerals despite a different overall composition.

Limitations and discussion: Because oxidezoals is not a formal chemical term, its use varies by author and context. It is often employed as a provisional descriptor in exploratory work, and researchers typically seek to quantify oxide-like features through metrics such as oxidation states, surface oxygen content, or coordination geometry. The term serves as a heuristic rather than a definitive classification.

See also: oxide, oxide-like materials, metal oxide, surface oxide.