Molecular Studies of Surfaces under Reaction Conditions; Sum Frequency Generation Vibrational Spectroscopy, Scanning Tunneling Microscopy and Ambient Pressure X-Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy

Instruments developed in our laboratory permit the atomic and molecular level study of NPs under reaction conditions (SFG, ambient pressure XPS and high pressure STM). These studies indicate continuous restructuring of the metal substrate and the adsorbate molecules, changes of oxidation states with NP size and surface composition variations of bimetallic NPs with changes of reactant molecules.