Molecular Surface Science

We perform state of the art research on molecular surface systems with the scope of providing more insight into molecular self-assembly, crystallization phenomena and molecular surface dynamics. Investigating well-defined two-dimensional model systems with scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and other surface science methods allows a better understanding of complex mechanisms in materials science in general and will help to find new approaches in materials and devices design where molecular self-assembly plays an important role. The following topics are addressed by our group:

Molecular Chirality and Surfaces
Molecular Motors
Organic Electronics
Nanoparticle Surface Chemistry
Surface-functionalisation with buckyballs

Experimental methods applied:
Scanning tunneling microscopy (STM)
Reflexion-absorption infrared spectroscopy (RAIRS)
X-ray / UV photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS, UPS)
Thermal desorption spectroscopy (TDS)
Time-of-flight secondary mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS)
Low-energy electron diffraction (LEED)

Home page of Molecular Surface Science Group: www.empa.ch/mss