Surface Chemistry

Our research aims at obtaining mechanistic insight into atomic-scale chemical processes occurring at surfaces. Current research topics span from the synthesis and imaging of two-dimensional covalent organic frameworks for energy conversion, to single-atom catalysts for hydrocarbon polymerization. Special attention is given to the development of novel imaging approaches based on scanning probe microscopy, aiming at resolving photoexcited states at the atomic scale. Sub-molecular characterization of atomic-scale structures is provided by scanning tunneling and atomic force microscopy (STM-AFM) and complemented by X-ray photoemission spectroscopy (XPS), which adds chemical sensitivity.