Chemistry 448 Surface Chemistry
Fall 1997

Mondays and Wednesdays 440-600 PM, 103 Osmond

Prerequisites: Chemistry 451 and 452 or equivalents.
Jump to: Next Class | Learning | Some WWW Sites | Next & Final Class | Texts | Grading

Faculty

Professor David L. Allara
Office: 185 MRI Building
Phone: (814) 865-2254
E-mail: dla3@psu.edu
Office Hours: By appointment
Send e-mail to Prof. Allara

Secretary: Sabrina Glasgow, 184 MRI Building, (814) 863-2619

Professor Paul S. Weiss
Office: 407 Davey Laboratory
Phone: (814) 865-3693
E-mail: stm@psuvm.psu.edu
Office Hours: Thursday 1:30-2:30 PM and by appointment
Send e-mail to Prof. Weiss

Secretary: Dana Coval, 113 Davey Laboratory, (814) 865-1383


We have excellent guest lecturers planned, including:
Darrell G Schlom
More to be announced!


Learning in Chem 448

There is a tremendous amount to learn in this field and in this course. Several scientific communities include areas of surface chemistry, but speak largely in different languages. These fields include chemistry, physics, biology, electrical engineering, chemical engineering, and bioengineering. Our goal is to give you enough background (and language training) to understand current research in these areas through talks and papers. This will require a great deal of work on your part.

Anticipate that the lectures, the readings, and the homeworks will be complementary rather than overlapping. You will be responsible for the material from all of these sources. Similarly, your participation in class is required both for discussions and for the education of your classmates and professors. There is nothing that we plan to say that is so critical that a good classroom discussion would not be preferable.

This is a very dynamic subject with rapidly changing perspectives and many advances. You will learn about these by pointers to the current literature and by taking advantage of the many seminars in this field available at Penn State throughout the semester and beyond.

Recommended Textbooks


Solids and Surfaces: A Chemist's View of Bonding in Extended Structures by Roald Hoffmann.
VCH, New York, 1988. ISBN 0-89573-709-4.

Surface Chemistry and Catalysis by Gabor A. Somorjai.
Wiley, New York, 1994. ISBN 0-471-03192-5

Supplementary Text (optional): Physical Chemistry of Surfaces, 5th Ed., by A. Adamson.
Wiley, New York, 1990. ISBN 0-471-61019-4.

Some Sites of Interest

Research in Prof. Allara's group.
Research in Prof. Weiss' group.

Chemistry on the Web.
The Elements.
Photography Information at Kodak.


Lunch?

Class Topics and Readings

These topics and assignments are subject to change, and you should check back regularly. We will try to indicate changes for you.

Wednesday 27 August 1997 Class (Weiss)

Introduction to surfaces

Monday 1 September 1997

Labor Day - no class.

Wednesday 3 September 1997 Class (Weiss)

Introduction to surfaces
Hoffmann pp. 1-21, Handouts

Note to first year chemistry graduate students and interested others:
This evening at 7 PM in S5 Osmond Prof. Weiss will give the first of a series of research presentations by chemistry faculty. Food and drinks will be provided.

Monday 8 September 1997 Class (Darrell G. Schlom)

Crystal structures and defects
Hoffmann pp. 21-32, Handout.

Wednesday 10 September 1997 Class (Darrell G. Schlom)

Crystal structures and defects
Hoffmann 32-55, Handout.

Monday 15 September 1997 Class (Allara)

Structures: Surface and Superlattices
Somorjai Chapter 2


Wednesday 17 September 1997 Class (Allara)

Structures: Surface and Superlattices
Somorjai Chapter 2
The paper we mentioned in class is:
"Coadsorbate induced reconstruction of a stepped Pt(111) surface by sulfur and CO: A novel surface restructuring mechanism observed by scanning tunneling microscopy," J. D. Batteas, J.C. Dunphy, Gabor A. Somorjai, and M. Salmeron, Physical Review Letters 77 (3), 534 (1996).

Monday 22 September 1997 Class (Allara)

Surface Thermodynamics
Somorjai Chapter 2

Wednesday 24 September 1997 Class (Allara)

Surface Thermodynamics
Somorjai Chapter 3
Homework #1 Due: 1-1.5 page report on a paper referenced in Chapter 3.

Monday 29 September 1997 Class (Allara/Weiss)

Surface Science Discussion
Somorjai Chapter 3
Homework #2 Due: 1-1.5 page report on a paper referenced in Chapter 2 or a paper on surface structure(s) found in Surface Science, Langmuir, Physical Review Letters, or another journal approved by one of the instructors.

Homework #3 Due: Come in prepared to discuss the topics on the linked page here. Note down your thoughts on each topic for your own use, not to turn in.

Wednesday 1 October 1997 Class (Weiss)

Surface Dynamics and Surface Probes
Somorjai Chapter 4

Monday 6 October 1997 Class (Allara)

Surface Dynamics
Somorjai Chapter 4

Wednesday 8 October 1997 Class (Allara)

Surface Dynamics
Somorjai Chapter 4

Homework #3 Due: 1-1.5 page report on a paper on a paper using EELS, IR, or Raman for surface vibrational spectroscopy found in Surface Science, Langmuir, Physical Review Letters, or another journal approved by one of the instructors. Keep in mind the science/instrumental/clutter issue.

Monday 13 October 1997 Class (Weiss)

Solid and Surface Electrical Properties
Somorjai Chapter 5

Note talks:
Monday 13 October 100 PM in 339 Davey: Christof Woell, "The Absorption of Unsaturated and Saturated Hydrocarbons on Metal Surfaces: Recent Results from X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy (NEXAFS) and He-Atom Scattering" (chemical physics/physical chemistry), Christof Woell, Universitaet Bochum (Germany)

Tuesday 14 October 100 PM in 339 Davey: Ludwig Bartels, "Lateral and Vertical Manipulation with the Scaning Tunneling Microscope Tip," Ludwig Bartels, Free University of Berlin


Wednesday 15 October 1997 Class (Weiss)

Vibrational and Structural Probes

Monday 20 October 1997 Class

Exam
covering through Somorjai Chapter 4 and associated lectures

Main topics on the exam:
Atomic and molecular views of surfaces and solids.
Thermodynamic views of surfaces (know the three important equations we discussed).
Probes.

Expect an exam along the lines of our discussion questions and the open ended questions we ask in class. Know the fundamentals!


Wednesday 22 October 1997 Class (Allara)

Surface Electrical Properties
Somorjai Chapter 5

Monday 27 October 1997 Class (Weiss)

Surface Chemical Bonds and Exam Discussion
Hoffmann pp. 65-78, Somorjai Chapter 6

Wednesday 29 October 1997 Class (Weiss)

Surface Chemical Bonds and Reaction Mechanisms
Hoffmann pp. 107-130, Somorjai Chapter 6

Monday 3 November 1997 Class (Allara)

Surface Chemical Bonds
Somorjai Chapter 6

Wednesday 5 November 1997 Class

Surface Chemical Bonds
Somorjai Chapter 6

Note talks:
Wednesday 5 November 1115 AM in 5 Osmond: Gang-Yu Liu
Analytical Chemistry Seminar, from Wayne State University

Friday 7 November 1115 AM in 5 Osmond: Miquel Salmeron
Analytical Chemistry Seminar, Low Temperature STM of Chemical Reactions, from Lawrence Berkeley Labs

Homework #4 Due: 1-1.5 page report on a paper on a paper using one or more core level spectroscopies found in Surface Science, Langmuir, Physical Review Letters, or another journal approved by one of the instructors. Keep in mind the science/instrumental/clutter issue.

Monday 10 November 1997 Class (Weiss)

Surface Chemical Bonds/Catalysis
Somorjai Chapter 7

Wednesday 12 November 1997 Class (Weiss)

Catalysis
Somorjai Chapter 7

Monday 17 November 1997 Class (Allara)

Catalysis
Somorjai Chapter 7
Homework #5 Due: 1-1.5 page report on a paper on a surface chemistry paper found in Surface Science, Langmuir, Physical Review Letters, or another journal approved by one of the instructors. Keep in mind the science/instrumental/clutter issue.

Wednesday 19 November 1997 Class (Allara)

Long Range Forces and Colloids
Handout

Monday 24 November 1997 Class

Molecular Films and Surface Functionalization
Handout

Wednesday 26 November 1997 -- No class the day before Thanksgiving!


Monday 1 December 1997 Class

Exam
covering through Long Range Forces and Colloids

Wednesday 3 December 1997 Class(Weiss)

Key Issues in Surface Science


Take-Home Portion of Exam Due


Monday 8 December 1997 Class (Weiss)

Go over Exam and Paper Topics


Homework #6 Due: 1-1.5 page report on a paper that is a key reference for your final paper.

Wednesday 10 December 1997 Class (Allara and Weiss)

Go over Exam and Paper Topics, Evaluations, Wrap-Up

Friday 12 December 1997

Paper due in lieu of a Final Exam, 10 AM, 407 Davey.

Grading

1. Class participation: 10%
2. Short (2-3 pages max.) reviews of published research papers on current lecture topics: 40%
~8 will be required during the semester
*Xerox copy of source article must be attached
This combines the original two sets of short papers. 3. Two exams (1 hr. each): 30% (15% each)
Note that pre-approved make-up or conflict exams will be oral exams.
4. One long paper reviewing the literature on an approved topic: 20%
*topic must involve course material *10 pages typical with 10-20+ references
*graded on difficulty of material, clarity, organization, critical/innovative input of student, + related criteria

TOTAL: 100%

Old Grading Scheme
1. Class participation: 10%
2. Short (2-3 pages max.) reviews of published research papers on current lecture topics: 25%
~8 will be required during the semester
*Xerox copy of source article must be attached
3. Shorter (1 page) weekly write-ups of readings: 15%
4. Two exams (1 hr. each): 30% (15% each)
5. One long paper reviewing the literature on an approved topic: 20%
*topic must involve course material *10 pages typical with 10-20+ references
*graded on difficulty of material, clarity, organization, critical/innovative input of student, + related criteria

TOTAL: 100%

This version: 9 December 1997
psw