 My research program focuses on the interdisciplinary area of experimental surface chemistry. The beauty of this discipline is in its links with analytical, organic, and inorganic chemistry. Using the techniques and methods of physical chemistry, my group will be solving various problems related to catalytic transformation of hydrocarbons and their derivatives on complex metallic and metal-semiconductor surfaces as well as the effect of these processes on the surfaces. The proposed projects will be divided into two main parts: catalysis on bimetallic surfaces and surface reactions and modification of metal silicides. The first area will concentrate on chemistry of hydrocarbons, halohydrocarbons, and oxygen-containing molecules on single crystal surfaces of copper-platinum alloys. The reactions relevant for production, reforming, polymerization, and efficient disposal of these compounds will be studied. The second project will be related to the chemistry leading to the formation of surface metal-semiconductor compounds, such as metal silicides, and to the chemical and physical properties of these surfaces. The findings of such projects are used in electronics, nanooptics, and lithography. My group will be using modern analytical techniques to understand these complex processes on a molecular level. Vibrational spectroscopies, high energy electron spectroscopies, mass spectrometry, and X-ray spectroscopies will be used at my laboratory on campus as well as at the National Synchrotron Light Source at Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, NY. I plan to continue collaborative projects with theoretical groups in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, and experimental groups in the Departments of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, as well as with industrial companies.  Dr. Andrew Teplyakov |