With the support of the Analytical and Surface Chemistry Program, Professor Diebold and her coworkers in the Department of Physics at Tulane University are studying the surface chemistry of well characterized oxide surfaces. Using scanning tunneling microscopy, photoemission spectroscopy, and adsorption studies, the geometric and electronic structure of SnO2, In2O3, and ZnO surfaces are being examined. Focus of the work is on the structural and chemical properties of oxide nanobelts of these materials formed under certain conditions. Both synthesis and characterization of these nanobelt materials is carried out. Adsorption and reaction of small molecules on these surfaces is also examined.
The surface properties of nanoscale oxide materials are the focus of this research project supported by the Analytical and Surface Chemistry Program. Using scanning probe microscopy and photoemission methods, Professor Diebold and her collaborators are examining the detailed geometric and electronic structure of tin, indium, and zinc oxide surfaces, particularly in morphologies exhibiting nanobelt structures. The adsorption and reaction of small molecules on these surfaces is also examined. Information from these studies will be of use in the understanding of catalytic processes and nanomaterials synthesis methods.
