Objective
Is it possible to really 'see' individual molecules in action as they are involved in a chemical reaction at a surface? And can we, in this way, get a complete understanding of reaction mechanisms, at the resolution of atoms? The importance of studying chemical reactions at surfaces has recently been highlighted by Gerhard Ertl being awarded the Nobel Prize in chemistry in 2007, for elucidating mechanisms of chemical processes on heterogeneous catalysts at the single molecule level with Scanning Tunneling Microscopy (STM). Although ground-breaking, these studies were carried out in ultra-high vacuum, which is, however, an unrealistic condition for conventional chemical or biological reactions which usually occur in a liquid medium. The aim of this ERC proposal is to establish a research area at the interface of chemistry and physics which has so far been nearly completely unexplored: the investigation of chemical reactions at solid-liquid interfaces at the highest detail possible, by visualizing molecules with STM while they are involved in a reaction. By doing so, unique information about reaction mechanisms can be obtained by looking at individual molecules, instead of ensembles where the behaviour of many molecules is averaged.
Towards this goal I propose to use a newly developed catalysis-STM setup, which is equipped with a liquid-cell and a bell-jar, and in which the conditions that are commonly applied in chemical laboratory processes (e.g. addition and withdrawal of chemicals, working under different atmospheres) can be closely resembled. In this setup I intend to carry out chemical reactions at a surface and monitor the behaviour of individual adsorbed catalysts, while they are in action. More specifically, it is my aim to investigate in detail the relation between structure and reactivity at the nanoscale
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- natural sciences chemical sciences catalysis
- natural sciences physical sciences optics microscopy scanning tunneling microscopy
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Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
ERC-2010-StG_20091028
See other projects for this call
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Host institution
6525 XZ Nijmegen
Netherlands
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.