Scott L. Anderson
Office: 1224 Henry Eyring Building (HEB) North wing
Department of Chemistry, University of Utah,
315 S. 1400 E. RM Dock, Salt Lake City, UT
84112-0850 How
to Find the Henry Eyring Building
Phone : (801) 585 - 7289 FAX: (801)581-8433 Group: (801) 581-6644
E-Mail : 
Education
B. A. Rice University, 1977 (P. R. Brooks)
Ph.
D. University of California at Berkeley, 1981 (Y. T. Lee)
Postdoctoral,
Stanford University, 1981-83 (R. N. Zare)
Awards
Distinguished
Professor, U of Utah, 2011
Fellow,
American Assoc. for the Advancement of Science, 2011
U of
Utah Distinguished and Creative Research Award, 2007
Fellow,
American Physical Society, 2005
NSF
Creativity Award, 2004-2006
Invitation
Fellow, Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, 2002
Professeur Invité, Université Paris-Sud,
1990, 1991
Visiting
Scientist, Fakultät für
Physik der Universität
Freiburg, 1990
Camille
and Henry Dreyfus Foundation Teacher-Scholar, 1989-1994
Japan Society for the Promotion of Science Fellow, 1989-1990
Alfred
P. Sloan Foundation Research Fellow,1988-1990
Research Interests – Physical and Analytical Chemistry
Anderson group research is generally focused on understanding the factors that
control chemical reactions, with systems ranging from small molecules in the
gas phase to nanoparticles on well-characterized surfaces, to catalyst and fuel
nanoparticles suspended in liquid fuels. The buttons/links below connect to
brief descriptions of each research project. Information about earlier projects
in fullerene chemistry, gas-phase metal cluster chemistry, and soft x-ray
photochemistry can be found in the publication list linked to below. There are also links to several software
and hardware projects that may be of interest.
Size-Selected Model Supported Catalysts:
The goal of these experiments is to probe the correlations between supported
cluster size, morphology, electronic structure, adsorbate binding sites,
support properties, and catalytic activity, and thereby, to learn about
catalyst active sites, mechanisms, and approaches to improving
activity/selectivity. We use size- and energy-selected metal
cluster ion deposition on well-characterized oxide surfaces to prepare model
catalysts, which are then studied using a variety of in situ techniques. The
electronic structure of the samples is probed by a combination of XPS, UPS, and
INS. Low energy ion scattering is
used to probe the cluster morphology, and how it is modified by reactant
adsorption, heating, etc. Chemical
properties are probed by a variety of mass spectrometric methods. We are in the process of adding
facilities for in situ
electrochemical measurements as well.
The goals are to understand the relationships between cluster size,
support interactions, electronic properties, and catalytic activity.
For
a number of advanced propulsion systems, it is critical to achieve rapid and
efficient combustion of high energy density liquid fuels. We are interested in liquid hydrocarbons
for jet propulsion and have several research projects in this general area:
1. We are interested in
fundamentals of catalysis under propulsion conditions, and potential catalytic
schemes to enhance ignition and combustion of hydrocarbon fuels, using nanoparticulate catalysts that are soluble/suspendible in the liquid fuels.
2. Combustion kinetics of
complex hydrocarbons are generally not very well understood, and we are
studying the initial steps in the pyrolysis and oxidation mechanisms of a
synthetic jet fuel, JP-10, using a combination of flow tube/photoionization
mass spectrometry, and ab initio molecular dynamics.
Nanoparticle fuel additives:
We are exploring methods to produce high energy density nanoparticles with
controlled surface chemistry, for use as additives to fuels ranging from
hydrocarbon jet fuels to rocket propellants. The goals are to enhance combustion rates
(catalytic surface modifications) and to add energy density (boron or aluminum
cores) while maintaining high solubility in the fuel, and passivating
the particles against premature air-oxidation during storage and handling. Particles are generated by high energy
milling, and characterized by a combination of XPS, SEM, STEM, EDX, EELS, DLS,
and combustion studies. The methods
may also be relevant to preparation of bio-compatible boron nanoparticles for
use in boron neutral capture therapy.
State-Selective Ion Chemistry
The goal is
to probe detailed dynamics for reaction of simple polyatomics (up to ca. 20 atoms), and to determine
circumstances where it is possible to control reactions by varying reactant
state/initial conditions. The unique feature of our experiments is the ability
to select the initial vibrational state of the reactants, including being able
to put energy in different modes of vibration, which often have very different
effects. Laser multiphoton
excitation methods are used to prepare vibrationally
and rotationally state-selected reactant ions, which are studied using guided
ion beam methods to determine reactions dynamics (energy dependence, product
energy and angular distributions).
Ab Initio calculations are
to probe potential surfaces, transition states, etc,
and ab initio molecular dynamics calculations
(like the trajectory at right) help understand the origins of the
experimentally observed dynamics and vibrational effects.
Links to (other)
Useful Stuff
