With the support of the Analytical and Surface Chemistry Program, Professor Borguet and coworkers at the University of Pittsburgh are examining diffusion and self-assembly of macromolecular species at electrochemical interfaces. Using a transient perturbation method, the rate of diffusion as well as information about the control of structures at the electrochemical interface is obtained. Scanning probe microscopy, coupled with this transient perturbation method provides detailed information about the diffusional motion of large molecules on the electrode surface. Initial work is focusing on the motion and self-assembly of porphyrin molecules.
An understanding of the diffusion and aggregation of adsorbed species on electrode surfaces may provide a route to the controlled construction of nano-scale objects with interesting technological applications. The work of this project in Professor Borguet's laboratory at the University of Pittsburgh is focused on developing this understanding using transient electrochemical perturbations of the electrode surface followed by scanning probe microscopy characterization.
