X-Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) enables chemists to obtain fundamental information related to surfaces. Areas as diverse as electrochemistry, heterogeneous catalysis, and surface science can be enhanced by access to modern XPS instrumentation. The Department of Chemistry of Texas A&M University will use this award from the Chemistry Shared Instrumentation Program to help acquire an X-ray photoelectron spectrometer. Among the areas of chemistry that will be enhanced by the acquisition are the following: 1) Use of ESCA in electrochemical studies 2) Bimetallic complexes bridged by difunctional ligands and trinuclear complexes 3) The role of surface oxygen ions in the catalytic activation of methane 4) Surface coordination/organometallic chemistry of Noble-metal electrocatalysis.
