Details of Grant 

EPSRC Reference:	GR/L93942/01
Title:	CHEMISORPTION AT METAL NANOSTRUCTURES CREATED WITH SIZE-SELECTED CLUSTER BEAMS
Principal Investigator:	Raval, Professor R
Other Investigators:	Eastham, Dr D
Researcher Co-Investigators:
Project Partners:
Department:	Chemistry
Organisation:	University of Liverpool
Scheme:	Standard Research (Pre-FEC)
Starts:	01 October 1998	Ends:	30 June 2002	Value (£):	248,154
EPSRC Research Topic Classifications:	Catalysis & Applied Catalysis Surfaces & Interfaces
EPSRC Industrial Sector Classifications:	No relevance to Underpinning Sectors
Related Grants:
Panel History:
Summary on Grant Application Form
This proposal combines the newly-emerging technology for depositing clean, naked, mass-selected cluster beams onto substrates with state-of-the-art surface analysis techniques to launch the first systematic studies of the chemistry of bare supported metal nanoparticles, which closely mimic supported heterogeneous catalysts. The project will utilise the new cluster deposition facility at Daresbury along with extensive surface science facilities at university of Liverpool to follow surface molecular processes. Thus the project forms an important link between surface science and catalytic science, combining the control and characterisation of the former with the relevance of the latter. A variety of metal nanostructures will be created (2-D islands, 3-D nanocrystals, ultra small, 3-D clusters and embedded nanostructures). Detailed chemisorption and reaction studies of selected molecules (H2, N2, CO, NO, CH4) will be carried out, e.g. STM to determine shape and size of nanoparticles; normal/inverse photoemission to monitor electronic structure, surface mid-IR to identify adsorbed intermediates; Far-IR to monitor cluster-molecular bonds; Reflection EXAFS to monitor metal-metal bonds. This work will allow a molecular-level understanding of the central issue in catalysis: what is the influence of particle shape and size on chemisorption and reactivity behaviour and can these factors be controlled to yield ultra-active and ultra-selective chemistry?
Key Findings
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Project URL:
Further Information:
Organisation Website:	http://www.liv.ac.uk