The study of the diffusion of molecular and atomic species on metal surfaces is the subject of this research project, supported in the Analytical and Surface Chemistry Program. A field emission fluctuation technique will be used to study in detail the diffusion of hydrogen, deuterium, carbon monoxide and oxygen on various planes of platinum, iridium, and rhodium. Digital data acquisition and analysis methods will be perfected and utilized in these studies, which build on previous investigations of diffusion on refractory metal field emission tips. Simulation studies of these diffusion systems will also be carried out, providing a more complete mechanistic understanding of the diffusion process. %%% A detailed understanding of diffusion on solid surfaces is crucial to an understanding of such important technological processes as catalysis and thin film growth. Obtaining detailed experimental information about diffusion is very difficult, however. The goal of this research project is to continue to develop and apply a unique method for obtaining this information on several very well characterized solid surface diffusion systems. This work will enhance our understanding of the basic physical processes of surface diffusion.
