Professor Andrew Bocarsly and Steven Bernasek of Princeton University are supported by the Organic Dynamics Program for studies with the goal of obtaining a molecular-level understanding of chemical reaction processes on solid surfaces, with a major theme being organic moieties on inorganic surfaces. The first project uses scanning tunneling microscopy to examine chiral structures resulting from two-dimensional self-assembly. Ultimately this research aims at developing chiral templates to achieve asymmetric synthesis on solids, but first, better characterization and control of the structures is sought. Ion-hydrocarbon interactions will be probed by scattering small organic probe ions such as pyridine or pyrrole on well-controlled self-assembled surfaces. Functional groups and chain length effects will be explored for clarifying chemical interactions in adlayers with mixed hydro- and fluoro-carbons. The effects of internal energy on the course of dissociative adsorption on metals producing carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, water and formaldehyde will be further examined using diode laser absorption spectroscopy to determine the internal state distribution of the products of catalytic oxidation reactions. Laser pumping of species to overcome barriers to surface reactions continues to be a goal with work here focused on methane dissociation reactions.
Functionalized silicon and metal surfaces are of growing importance for micro- and molecular-electronics applications. The fundamental information from these studies will have many end uses including the development of sensors, separations, catalysis, electronics, mass spectrometry as well as electrochemistry.
