Berlin 2012 – scientific programme

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O: Fachverband Oberflächenphysik

O 69: Competition for Gerhard Ertl Young Investigator Award

O 69.5: Talk

Thursday, March 29, 2012, 12:30–13:00, A 060

Surface Science Studies of the Catalytic Solid-Liquid Interface Utilizing Single Molecule Spectroscopy and Calorimetry — •Robert M Rioux — Department of Chemical Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16801

The study of the gas-solid interface has been the hallmark of surface science. In his Nobel talk, Professor Ertl highlighted the surface thermodynamics, kinetics and dynamics of catalytic reactions on well-defined single crystal surfaces. Research efforts in gas-solid surface science are highly relevant in a number of technological areas; however, a detailed molecular understanding of the catalytic solid-liquid interface is still lacking. Fundamental properties critically important to catalysis, such as the heat of adsorption of a reactant have not been measured in the solution phase and there are very few structure-activity/selectivity studies of catalytic reactions occurring at this interface. A quantitative picture of the effect of solvent at this interface on catalysis is lacking. The study of this interface requires a new approach since many of the techniques of surface science will not work in this situation. We will demonstrate with a combination of non-linear optical spectroscopy, solution-phase calorimetry, and single molecule approaches adapted from biophysics to measure reactivity and selectivity, we are beginning to elucidate a molecular-level understanding of the catalytic solid-liquid interface on extended and nanoscale surfaces. In this talk, we will review recent efforts to quantify this technologically important interface.