Formation and Stability of Supported Metal Nanostructures

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The Macromolecular, Supramolecular and Nanochemistry (MSN) program and the Chemical Structure, Dynamics and Mechanisms (CSDM) program of the Division of Chemistry will support the collaborative research program of Prof. Patricia Thiel and Prof. James Evans of Iowa State University. Profs. Thiel and Evans and their students will study both the formation and stability of metal nanostructures supported on surfaces. They will consider both the effect of chemical additives of behavior, and also the additional complexity and functionality provided by multi-component systems. Detailed analysis and elucidation of these systems will be achieved by a closely integrated combination of experiment (scanning tunneling microscopy in combination with other surface analysis techniques) together with theory and simulation (from ab-initio DFT and semi-empirical analysis of energetics, to atomistic modeling using Kinetic Monte Carlo simulation and coarse-grained continuum modeling of the self-assembly and coarsening of epitaxial nanostructures). These studies will provide the basic scientific underpinnings for a range of nanotechnologies based on thin film deposition. The work will provide excellent educational training opportunities for graduate students and postdoctoral trainees in cutting-edge areas of nanoscale science and technology, nanostructure imaging and analysis, and predictive theory and multiscale modeling.