Scanning tunneling microscopy of temperature dependent molecular processes at the solution-solid interface

华盛顿州立大学的Kerry W. Hipps教授在化学系化学测量与成像（CMI）项目的支持下，利用扫描隧道显微镜对固溶体界面的几个基本温度依赖表面问题进行了研究，这些问题具有基础和技术上的重要性。可变温度扫描隧道显微镜（STM）将被定制并用于进行拟议的研究。发生在固溶体界面上的过程会受到温度的显著影响，在分子水平上理解这些温度诱导的过程将促进几个科学研究领域的进展，包括表面化学、催化、粘附、腐蚀、光物理以及工业和生物系统中的自组装。这项研究的结果可能会在光电器件、太阳能电池和传感器等领域带来廉价而高效的制造方法。本研究的目的是定制一种变温仪器，以减轻高温下STM成像的相关问题，如热漂移、仪器不同部分之间的温差、STM头和仪器其他部分的溶剂蒸发和冷凝。新定制的仪器将用于研究几个具有基础和实际重要性的基本温度相关表面问题。包括：1)固固界面物理吸附物的结构、形成动力学和热力学；2)固溶界面的化学反应；3)共价附着单层的相变；预成型有机填料化学转化的机理和动力学。研究生和本科生将接受化学和仪器制造方面的培训，这两个领域的交叉培训特别有价值。本研究的结果将被纳入化学和材料科学的高级课程。在进行这项研究的过程中，研究小组将通过华盛顿州立大学“想象明天”高中能源项目开展外展活动。

Professor Kerry W. Hipps of Washington State University is supported by the Chemical Measurement and Imaging (CMI) Program in the Division of Chemistry to conduct studies using scanning tunneling microscopy on several basic temperature-dependent surface problems of fundamental and technical importance at the solid-solution interface. A variable temperature scanning tunneling microscope (STM) will be customized and used to conduct the proposed research. Processes occurring at the solid solution interface can be dramatically affected by temperature, and understanding these temperature induced processes at the molecular level will facilitate advances in several science research fields including surface chemistry, catalysis, adhesion, corrosion, photophysics, and self-assembly in industrial and biological systems. The results from this research may lead to inexpensive and efficient manufacturing methods in areas such as opto-electronic devices, solar cells and sensors.The objective of the proposed research is to customize a variable temperature instrument to mitigate the problems associated with STM imaging at elevated temperatures, such as thermal drift, temperature differences between different parts of the instrument, and solvent evaporation and condensation on the STM head and other parts of the instrument. The newly customized instrument will be employed to study several basic temperature-dependent surface problems of fundamental as well as practical importance. These include: 1) structures, formation kinetics and thermodynamics of physical adsorbates at the solution solid interface; 2) chemical reactions at the solid-solution interface; 3) phase transformations in covalently attached monolayers; and mechanisms and kinetics of chemical transformations of preformed organic adlayers. Graduate and undergraduate students will be trained in chemistry and instrument construction, two areas for which cross-training is particularly valuable. The results of this study will be incorporated in higher level courses in Chemistry and Materials Science. During the course of conducting this research, the research team will perform outreach activities through the WSU "Imagine Tomorrow" high school energy program.