Surface Chemistry and Diffusion of Single Molecules

这项研究在分析和表面化学的一般领域，侧重于发展对扫描隧道显微镜的基本方面和能力的理解。这项工作有望为这种能够获得单个原子和分子的惊人图像的强大仪器开发重要的新应用。一台工作在4K的极稳定的超高真空扫描隧道显微镜，配备了广泛的表面科学设备，将试图利用非弹性电子隧道光谱来研究吸附在固体表面上的单分子的振动光谱。第二台仪器设计在4K至150K的温度范围内运行，将用于研究吸附物质热激活扩散的点到点跳跃率。这些研究有望提供一些现有的最好的原子和分子图像，提供与现有表面科学方法的独特结合，导致理解特定表面位置上的分子键合，并增强我们对表面扩散的理解。

The research, in the general area of Analytical and Surface Chemistry, focuses on developing an understanding of the fundamental aspects and capabilities of the scanning tunneling microscope. The work promises to exploit important new applications for this powerful instrument capable of obtaining striking images of individual atoms and molecules. An extremely stable ultra-high vacuum scanning tunneling microscope operating at 4K, equipped with a wide range of surface science facilities, will be used to try to study the vibrational spectra of single molecules adsorbed on solid surfaces using inelastic electron tunneling spectroscopy. A second instrument, designed to operate over a temperature range of 4K to 150K, will be used to study site-to-site hopping rates of thermally activated diffusion of adsorbates. These studies promise to provide some of the best atomic and molecular pictures available, provide a unique combination with existing surface science methods, lead to an understanding of the bonding of molecules at specific surface sites, and enhance our understanding of surface diffusion.