Goals: Probe the structure of small metal, semi-metal, and metal oxide clusters and how it changes with cluster size and stoichiometry. Determine bond energies and correlate structure with chemical reactivity. Use the results to predict heterogeneous chemistry for metals under extreme combustion conditions, where conventional surface techniques are not applicable
Techniques: Use of laser and high energy particle sputtering to produce mass-selected metal cluster ion beams. Radio-frequency storage techniques to cool, heat, and chemically pre-react cluster ions. Guided beam measurements of cluster ion reaction cross sections as a function of collision energy, cluster internal 'temperature', and size. Ab initio calculation of cluster electronic and geometric structure.
Our work in this area focused on clusters of simple atoms such as carbon, boron, and related species such as boron oxide oligamers.
A recent example is a collaborative (with Mike Page's group at ND State) experimental/ab initio study of boron oxide oligamers, were we
determined the structure and bond energies in BnOm+ (n, m < 5). This data resolves quite a number of discrepancies in the thermochemical
literature for boron oxide. The thermochemistry is relevant to several aspects of the combustion of boron, potentially one of the highest energy
density fuels known.
PDF files of some papers in this area can be downloaded from the Recent Publications section.