The prevalence of structural techniques in experimental and computational surface science inevitably encourages a static view of the atoms and molecules that make up the systems we study. Even discussion of chemical reactivity is most often couched in a quasistatic traversal of the minimum energy path between two local energy minima, or a high-level kinetic picture that emphasises the rate of passage from one minimum to another without enquiring too deeply into the mechanism by which that passage is effected. Nevertheless, we all know that at any finite temperature the atoms and molecules of interest will be in a state of constant agitation; even at the lowest temperature limit the phenomenon of zero-point motion is to be neglected at our peril. This talk will draw upon recent results from supersonic molecular beam and helium spin-echo studies, together with first-principles molecular dynamics simulations, to survey cases where a truly dynamic picture of the surface is essential to understand what is really going on. Examples include the partially dissociative adsorption of methane, the surface diffusion of pyrrole, and the anisotropic and anharmonic vibration of adsorbed glycinate molecules.

Dynamics in surface chemistry

248th National Meeting (2014)

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.