Spectroscopic and Microscopic Studies of Surface Reaction Mechanisms

在这个奖项中，由化学系的化学结构，动力学和机制计划资助，芝加哥伊利诺伊大学化学系的Michael Trenary教授和他的学生正在进行过渡金属表面反应的基础实验研究，这些研究不仅旨在建立所研究反应的机理细节，而且揭示了表面化学和多相催化中更一般的反应性趋势。这项工作需要与反射吸收红外光谱（RAIRS）结合的结构和空间分布的研究相同的表面物种与变温扫描隧道显微镜（STM）的表面中间体的表征。来自实验的光谱和空间信息将通过与理论家合作进行的密度泛函理论计算来补充。从这项研究中获得的见解将为设计更好的催化剂和更好的催化过程提供基础。所有的研究都是在培养研究生，本科生和博士后水平的现代实验表面科学方法的背景下进行的。这项培训将使这些学生为技术型行业的各种工作做好准备。

In this award, funded by the Chemical Structure, Dynamics, and Mechanisms Program of the Division of Chemistry, Professor Michael Trenary and his students in the Department of Chemistry of the University of Illinois at Chicago are conducting fundamental experimental studies of reactions on transition metal surfaces that are designed to not only establish the mechanistic details of the reactions studied, but also to reveal more general reactivity trends in surface chemistry and heterogeneous catalysis. This work entails the characterization of surface intermediates with reflection absorption infrared spectroscopy (RAIRS) combined with studies on the structure and spatial distribution of the same surface species with variable temperature scanning tunnelling microscopy (STM). The spectral and spatial information from the experiments will be complemented by density functional theory calculations performed through collaborations with theoreticians. The insights gained from this research will provide a basis for the design of better catalysts and better catalytic processes. All of the research is being done in the context of training students at the graduate, undergraduate, and postdoctoral level in modern methods of experimental surface science. This training will prepare these students for a variety of jobs in technology-based industries.