Office: 1216 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 : 
- Physical and Analytical Chemistry
Education/Awards
B. A. Rice University, 1977
- Ph. D. University of California at Berkeley, 1981
- Postdoctoral, Stanford University, 1981-83
- Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Research Fellow,1988-1990
- Camille and Henry Dreyfus Foundation Teacher-Scholar, 1989-1994
- Japan Society for the Promotion of Science Fellow, 1989-1990
- Professeur Invité, Université Paris-Sud, 1990, 1991
- Visiting Scientist, Fakultät für Physik der Universität Freiburg, 1990
- Invitation Fellow, Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, 2002
- NSF Creativity Award, 2004-2006
- Fellow, American Physical Society
- U of Utah Distinguished and Creative Research Award, 2007
Research Interests
Our research focuses on the dynamics of chemical reactions, especially in extending detailed dynamics studies to relatively complex systems.
The level of complexity ranges from small to medium size molecules in the gas phase, through clusters, up to solid state and surface chemistry.
The results are applicable to a variety of technological problems including catalysis, control of reactions, combustion/fuels chemistry, analytical
chemistry, and film growth. The buttons/links below connect to brief descriptions of each research project.
Current Projects -- Click on links for additional information
State-Selective Ion Chemistry
Goals:
Probe detailed dynamics for reaction of simple polyatomics (up to ca. 20 atoms). Also,
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.
Experimental Tools: Laser multiphoton excitation to prepare vibrationally and rotationally state-selected reactant ions.
Guided beam methods to determine reactions dynamics (energy dependence, product energy and angular distributions).
Theory: Ab Initio calculations to probe potential surfaces, transition states, etc.
Direct dynamics calculations (like the trajectory at right) to help understand the origins of the experimentally observed dynamics and vibrational effects.
Nanocluster-Surface Deposition Dynamics - Model Supported Catalyts:
There are two related goals.
1. Nanocluster-surface impact dynamics. Probe the dynamics of low energy (0.1 eV < Eimpact <1 keV)
impact of metal nanoclusters on surfaces, including impact-driven reactions, implantation, etc. These studies have applications in film growth
and nanoscale materials.
2. Model Catalysts Use size- and energy-selected nanocluster deposition to prepare model catalysts. Study effects of cluster size, impact energy, support
defects etc. on catalyst properties. Exploit dynamics to prepare model catalysts with interesting and unique structures, and then characterize the
chemical properties. This aspect of the work is aimed at understanding effects of nano-particle size and support structure/defects on catalytic properties.
Tools: Phase-space compressed ion beam deposition to deposit high
intensity mass-selected cluster ion beams at energies ranging from < 0.1 eV/atom up to keVs. An array of surface analysis and preparation tools (XPS, XAS, IRAS,
TPS, ...) to characterize the samples.
Nano-particles as combined fuel and combustion catalyst
Goals: We are exploring use of core/shell/shell nanoparticles as a combined
combustion catalyst and high energy density fuel. Application is to PDE, ramjet and rocket propulsion, where the outer shell
catalyzes combustion of the primary fuel, and the core (aluminum or boron) burns when the temperature is high enough.
Substantial catalytic effects on both combustion rate and product distributions are found.
Links to Previous Research Projects and (other) Useful Stuff
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