Dealing with corrosion and oxidation is a major societal priority, yet oxidation also presents a fascinating and complex challenge in thin film growth. Our research interests are in the fundamental kinetics of gas-metal reactions. We will bridge the length scales between monolayer level surface studies of dry corrosion, and real-world environmental effects which typically involve macroscopic corrosion and spallation.
Mechanistic understanding requires atomically clean surfaces and structural information.
We will use new electron microscopy techniques, in particular in situ UHV-TEM, to improve our fundamental understanding of dry corrosion which, have to now, eluded explanation. Other areas that will be impacted by this research program include catalysis, aerosols, extreme fuel reactions, some thin film growth such as ferroelectrics where oxidation is used as part of the film growth process. Another critically important area impacted by the nanoscale correlation of structure and gas-metal kinetics is catalysis. Heterogeneous catalysis is supported metal nanoclusters on a low-Z support. The chemistry is surface chemistry.