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Details of Grant 

EPSRC Reference: GR/S15273/01
Title: Addition reactions on interstellar dust grain analogues
Principal Investigator: Brown, Professor W
Other Investigators:
Williams, Professor DA Price, Professor SD
Researcher Co-Investigators:
Project Partners:
Department: Chemistry
Organisation: UCL
Scheme: Standard Research (Pre-FEC)
Starts: 01 May 2003 Ends: 31 October 2006 Value (£): 160,136
EPSRC Research Topic Classifications:
Surfaces & Interfaces
EPSRC Industrial Sector Classifications:
Chemicals No relevance to Underpinning Sectors
Related Grants:
Panel History:  
Summary on Grant Application Form
This proposal describes novel experiments to investigate the low temperature adsorption and formation of small molecules, such as methanol, water, carbon dioxide and ammonia, on the surface of interstellar dust grain analogues for the first time. These heterogeneous addition reactions will be investigated using the techniques of low temperature reflection absorption infrared spectroscopy (RAIRS) and temperature programmed desorption (TPD) as a probe of the adsorbate species. RAIRS is an ideal technique for investigating the formation of small molecules as it is a finger-printing technique which allows the identification of adsorbate species from their vibrational frequencies. Dust grains in space are thought to consist of mainly carbon and silicon and are often covered in films of water ice (the temperature in interstellar space is - 20 K). Surfaces on which low temperature addition reactions will be investigated, and which are suitable analogues of these dust grains, will therefore include graphite, silicates, amorphous carbon and thin films of water ice grown on metal substrates.
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