Atomistic Insights into Reactions and Catalysis Obtained One Nanocrystal at a Time
November 13, 2014
11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Abstract:
Whereas pathways of chemical reactions involving small molecules are well understood, dynamics of reactions in extended solids remain difficult to elucidate. Frequently, kinetic studies on bulk materials provide a picture averaged over multiple domains or grains, smearing out interesting dynamics occurring within individual, often nanoscale, domains. My lab employs in-situ single-particle optical spectroscopy to decipher from single-particle trajectories previously unknown information about dynamical pathways or nucleation in a solid-state transformation. Recently, by optically monitoring a solid-state reaction with single nanocrystal resolution, we directly identified a new reaction pathway. Trajectories of single CdSe nanocrystals reacting with Ag revealed sharp single-nanocrystal switching events, suggesting that the reaction is a co-operative transition rather than a diffusion-limited process. I will give few more examples (surface adsorption and galvanic corrosion) to demonstrate that single nanocrystal reaction studies can further mechanistic understanding of heterogeneous reactions, solid-state catalysis, bottom-up nanostructure growth, and materials’ degradation in reactive environments.
Date posted
Jun 17, 2019
Date updated
Jun 17, 2019