The Analytical and Surface Chemistry (ASC) program of the Division of Chemistry will support the collaborative research program of Prof. James Evans and Prof. Patricia Thiel of Iowa State University. Profs. Evans and Thiel and their students will study the self assembly and stability properties of metal nanostructures on surfaces. Detailed analysis and elucidation of these systems will be achieved by a closely integrated combination of experiment (scanning tunneling microscopy and surface sensitive diffraction) together with theory and simulation (from ab-initio DFT and semi-empirical calculations of energetics, to atomistic modeling of nanoscale organization utilizing Kinetic Monte Carlo simulation, and possibly hybrid/multiscale or coarse-grained continuum formulations). These studies will provide the basic scientific underpinnings for a broad range of nanotechnologies based on thin film deposition. The study will provide excellent educational training opportunities for graduate students and postdoctoral trainees in the cutting edge area of nanostructures imaging and theory.
