With the support of the Analytical and Surface Chemistry Program, Professor White and his coworkers at the University of Texas at Austin are investigating the photo and thermal induced chemistry of small oxygen containing molecules on nanostructured oxide and bimetallic surfaces. Using a novel hydrophobic/hydrophilic patterning method, they are depositing nanometer sized titanium and molybdenum oxide particles, as well as Au/Cu bimetallic particles on planar TiO2 surfaces. Scanning tunneling microscopy, thermal desorption spectroscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy are used to examine the kinetics and mechanisms of the reactions on these structured surfaces. Information from this fundamental research is important for developing an understanding of the reactivity of nanoparticles of oxide and bimetallic materials.
The surface chemical reactivity of nanometer sized materials is likely to differ in important ways from the surface reactivity of bulk oxide and bimetallic materials. This research project, carried out by Professor White and his group at the University of Texas, addresses this important question. Using a hydrophobic/hydrophilic patterning method, nanostructured surfaces of titanium and molybdenum oxides, as well as Au/Cu bimetallic nanoparticles are prepared and characterized. The surface chemistry of these materials is then examined using standard UHV surface chemistry probes. This fundamental information is crucial for developing an understanding of the reactivity of nanomaterials for use in many technical applications.
