The Role of Substrate Band Structure in Photochemistry on Metal Surfaces

University Of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh PA

Investigators

Abstract

This research project, with the support of the Analytical and Surface Chemistry Program, addresses questions of fundamental importance in the dynamics of adsorption and reaction on surfaces driven by photon and electron excitation. Professors Petek and Yates, at the University of Pittsburgh, combine femtosecond time resolved two photon photoemission with electron stimulated desorption ion angular distribution studies to probe the effects of substrate electronic structure on the detailed photochemistry of simple adsorbates on well characterized metal surfaces. Sulfur dioxide and carbon monoxide adsorbed on silver and platinum surfaces are the model systems of interest. Time resolved photoemission microscopy provides information about the effect of specific defect sites on the surface photochemical process. Information from these studies provides fundamental insight into the operation of nanoscale structures and devices. A detailed understanding of the effect of substrate electronic structure on the dynamics of photon initiated chemistry at surfaces is the focus of this research project. With the support of the Analytical and Surface Chemistry Program, Professors Petek and Yates at the University of Pittsburgh are probing these questions. Using time resolved photoemission methods, combined with structural information obtained from desorbed ion angular distributions, fundamental understanding of the dynamics of photon and electron initiated surface processes is obtained.