Ice Surface Dynamics

在这个由化学结构、动力学和机理计划以及化学测量和成像计划资助的项目中，塔夫茨大学的玛丽·简·舒尔茨教授正在研究单晶冰面。单晶研究革命性的催化模型，带来了更高效的过程，从固定氮气来制造化肥，使地球能够养活不断增长的人口，到汽车中的催化转化器，极大地改善了空气质量。同样，单晶冰表面的详细图像预计将影响对支配生物、大气和地质过程的相互作用的理解。该项目将新出现的生长单晶冰的能力与尖端仪器相结合，以测量冰面上的相互作用。由于它的六边形结构，冰是单轴的。毫不奇怪，能量转移和吸附相互作用因面对面不同而不同，并且随取向而变化。冰是一种很好的材料，可以将宏观的可观测结构与潜在的分子级结构连接起来。这种联系吸引了多个年龄段的人，使广大受众能够接触到研究实验室的结果。因此，技术发展不仅将对软材料界面的研究产生广泛影响，还将把日常体验(如在暴风雪中驾驶汽车)与汽车尾气对环境的影响联系起来。

In this project funded by the Chemical Structure, Dynamics and Mechanisms A Program and the Chemical Measurement and Imaging Program, Professor Mary Jane Shultz of Tufts University is examining single-crystal ice surfaces. Single crystal studies revolutionized models of catalysis leading to more efficient processes ranging from fixing nitrogen to make fertilizers that enable the Earth to sustain a growing population, to the catalytic converter in automobiles that vastly improve air quality. Similarly, detailed images for single crystal ice surfaces are expected to impact understanding of interactions that govern biological, atmospheric, and geological processes.This project combines emerging ability to grow single-crystal ice selecting any face with cutting-edge instrumentation to measure interactions at the ice surface. Due to its hexagonal structure, ice is uniaxial. It would not be surprising to find that both energy transfer and adsorbate interaction differ from face to face as well as changing with orientation. Ice is a wonderful material for connecting the macroscopic observable structure with the underlying molecular-level structure. This connection is fascinating to multiple age groups, making research laboratory results accessible to wide audiences. Thus not only will technique development have a broad impact on the study of soft material interfaces, it will also connect everyday experiences such as driving a car in a snowstorm with the environmental impact of that car's exhaust.