We have developed new instrumentation and methodology for examining interfacial chemical kinetics and dynamics by combining supersonic molecular beam surface scattering with in situ scanning tunneling microscopy. This allows for time-lapse visualization of the atomic-, nano-, and meso-scale processes that govern site-dependent studies of chemical reactivity and morphological evolution of the reacting interface. We have utilized this new method to examine the collision energy and angle dependent oxidation of Si(7x7) and the oxidation of basal plane of graphite. These experiments reveal how local reactivity proceeds vs. time including as a function of the extent of reaction while simultaneously examining synergistic effects involving nearby reaction sites. The graphite reaction is paradigmatic for this type of study, allowing us to link and quantify interfacial reaction kinetics and dynamics to the ongoing structural evolution of the interface. We hope to extend these studies to the examination of the role of non-adiabatic effects in interfacial chemistry including energy dissipation.

Visualizing interfacial chemical kinetics and dynamics using supersonic molecular beams and In situ scanning tunneling microscopy

255th National Meeting (2018)

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