Ewing is supported by the Experimental Physical Chemistry Program to carry out experimental studies that aim to advance fundamental knowledge of molecular adlayer processes at ionic surfaces. In one class, the high resolution rovibrational spectroscopy of two dimensional quantum crystals of hydrogen and methane and their isotopic variants will be studied via infrared spectroscopy to elucidate the fundamental nature of these systems. This study includes examining the role of dimensionality on the properties of molecular quantum crystals. In the second class, properties of submonolayer, monolayer, and thin film water and ice on ionic substrates near ambient conditions will be explored. Thermodynamic properties such as phase diagrams will be determined, as well as gas solubility and chemical reactions within the thin films. Outcomes from these experiments will impact the understanding of environmental phenomena, as well as increase the basic understanding of water interactions with ionic surfaces.
Ionic crystals, or salts, are ubiquitous in nature. This project will lead to insights into how molecules interact with ionic surfaces, outcomes with both fundamental and applied implications. For example, thin films of water exist on all ionic surfaces under ambient conditions, and play important roles in cloud formation, soil properties, caking of crystallite powders, and chemical reactions on salts.
