Three-dimensional force imaging of rutile TiO2(110) with functionalized tips

• Applicant: Dr. Jan Götzen
• Subject Area: Experimental Condensed Matter Physics
• Term: from 2011 to 2012
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 198256885

The significance of developing a fundamental understanding of catalytic processes at surfaces was recently two times emphasized by the Nobel committee, awarding the Nobel prize in chemistry to G. Ertl in 2007 for his studies of chemical processes on solid surfaces and this year awarded Richard F. Heck, Ei-ichi Negishi and Akira Suzuki for the development of palladiumcatalyzed cross coupling. The current project is focussed on the investigation of the fundamental processes of the heterogeneous catalysis taking place on the TiO2(110) surface. Thiswill be achieved by in situ noncontact atomic force microscopy (NC-AFM) measurements with functionalized tips conducted at a self-built instrument of Prof. U. Schwarz group at Yale University. The instrument offers the possibility to record three-dimensional (3D) maps of theforce interaction between tip and sample at extreme low temperatures (6 K) , which is essential for the feasibility of the project. Since alcohol and carboxylic acid are well-known indicators for the catalytic activity of TiO2 we plan on functionalizing the tip with such molecules. The resulting 3D force interaction maps promise to deliver a deep insight of the adsorption sites of alcohols and carboxylic acids on TiO2. In addition, the method allows a precise analysis of step edges and defects induced effects onto the catalytic processes. The final goal of the study is to obtain a deeper understanding of the relevant processes in heterogeneous catalysis by recording 3D force interaction maps of the surfaces by NC-AFM with different functionalized tips.

• DFG Programme: Research Fellowships
• International Connection: USA
• Host: Professor Dr. Udo Schwarz