Giacinto Scoles, FRS Donner Professor of Science Department of Chemistry Princeton University Princeton, NJ 08544
	gscoles@princeton.edu (609) 258-5570

About the Scoles Group

In our laboratory, we study problems which concern mainly the areas of Chemical Dynamics and Materials Science. The general philosophy is to exploit new physical ideas and novel instrumentation to solve outstanding problems in chemistry and materials science.

Particular emphasis is given to the behaviour of nanosystems and materials, i.e. clusters, organic thin films, single molecules etc. The techniques in which we claim some expertise are:

• Atomic beam surface diffraction and reflectivity
• Synchrotron x-ray surface diffraction and reflectivity
• Scanning probe microscopy (both STM and AFM)
• The theory of intermolecular forces

In the following links we discuss the research in progress in each of the fields separately, trying in each case to answer the following four questions:

1. Why is the research being done?
2. How we do it?
3. What has been done recently?
4. What plans do we have for the near future?

As always in research, the plans evolve rapidly also because of the choices, preferences and ideas of the incoming students and post-doctoral fellows. Very often the research is conducted in collaboration with other PU laboratories as indicated below.

1. Studying unusual molecular clusters and radicals by superfluid Helium Nanodroplet (matrix) Isolation (HENDI) spectroscopy. (In collaboration with K. K. Lehmann)
2. Spectroscopy of neat and doped hydrogen clusters: Can we make para-H₂ superfluid? Can we improve the rocket propelling properties of solid hydrogen? (In collaboration with K. K. Lehmann)
3. Structure and properties of organic thin films: What are the forces that drive the self-assembly of membrane-like monolayers (SAMs) on surfaces? (In collaboration with A. Selloni and K. Vanderlick) What is the best way to grow crystalline thin films of organic semiconductors? (In collaboration with A. Kahn, EE. Dept.)
4. State selective study of molecular vibrations on the chemisorption probability on transition metal surfaces: What is the best way to activate the C-H bond? (In collaboration with S. L. Bernasek)
5. Study of the dynamical behaviour of H atoms on transition metal surfaces: What is the mechanism of catalytic (de)hydrogenation of hydrocarbons at the metal vacuum interface? (In collaboration with S. L. Bernasek)
6. Molecular Manipulation and surface modification with scanning probe microscopy: What are the adsorption and electronic properties of proteins? (In collaboration with M. Case and G. McLendon)
7. Mechanical and electrical properties of nanoscale surface contacts: (In collaboration with the IRG3 group of Princeton's MRSEC: K. Vanderlick (Chem. Eng.), D. Srolovitz (Mech. Eng.), Z. Suo (Mech. Eng.), W. Soboyeio (Mech. Eng.), R. Car (Chemistry), A. Selloni (Chemistry), S. Forrest (El. Eng.)

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