STM studies of surface complexes and molecular compounds in physisorbed monolayers adsorbed at the solid/solution Interface

Molecular layers adsorbed on solid surfaces from liquids are the central feature of many academic and industrial problems including icecream manufacture, lubrication, detergency, colloidal stability, catalysis, nanotechnology and photovoltaic applications. However, although important, there is very little information about the structure, composition and phase behaviour of these molecularly thin layers because they are sandwiched between two bulk phases and are inaccessible to experiment. This lack of data has also led to very poor predictive capabilities in industrial contexts. The use of adsorbed mixtures is presently based on trial and error and poorly optimised. Our group has extensive experience using a wide variety of novel techniques to characterise these adsorbed layers. However, some systems cannot be studied with our existing battery of techniques and new approaches are required. In this short project we aim to develop expertise in using STM (Scanning Tunnelling Microscopy) to study the structures of monolayers adsorbed from liquids to solid surfaces, in our group in Cambridge. This experimental approach will enable us to extend our investigations, particularly to the study of adsorbed mixtures which show much enhanced properties over pure materials which will advance the understanding of a wide range of important phenomena from detergency and lubrication to oil recovery and colloidal stability. The total cost of this preliminary project is less than 15k.