Weak Adsorption on Complex Surfaces

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Weak Adsorption on Complex Surfaces
M. W. Cole, S. Curtarolo and R. D. Diehl
Pennsylvania State U DMR-0505160
We use experiments, theory and simulation to
explore the fundamental properties of gases
adsorbed on complex surfaces such as
quasicrystals. Quasicrystals are complex alloys
having highly-ordered but non-periodic
crystalline structures. Gases adsorbed on these
surfaces experience competing forces that leads
to new and interesting phenomena such as the
formation of quasicrystalline nano-arrays. Left
The left hand column shows the density
distribution of adsorbed Xe on the quasicrystal
at increasing coverages of Xe. (0.1, 0.9, 1, and
2 monolayers, respectively) The middle column
shows the Fourier transform of these density
plots, indicating that the structure transforms
from 5-fold symmetric to 6-fold symmetric as the
density increases. (The transition occurs between
b and c.) The right hand column shows the
experimental diffraction patterns at the same
coverages - good correspondence between
experiment and theory!
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Weak Adsorption on Complex Surfaces
M. W. Cole, S. Curtarolo and R. D. Diehl
Pennsylvania State U DMR-0505160
Broader Impact Students and Post-doc supported
by this and the predecessors of this grant in the
last 5 years include Nicola Ferralis, Ph.D.
student, to graduate in fall 2005 Tariq Gilani,
postdoc, currently associate professor at
Millersville University, FengMing Pan, currently
teacher in Toronto Andreea Trasca, Ph.D.
student, currently a researcher in Berlin, Hsin-I
Li, Ph.D. student, Wahyu Setyawan, Ph.D. student,
and Kelly Hanna, undergraduate student.
Education/Outreach Members of this project are
active in a K-12 science and technology
curriculum development and outreach project with
local schools.