Title: Solid/Liquid Interfaces:Structure, dynamics and spectroscopy

Speaker: Marialore Sulpizi, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Germany 

Date/Time: 14:30 PM, Oct.23, 2017 (Mon.)

Location: Room 202, Lujiaxi Building

Abstract:

Liquid-solid interfaces are ubiquitous and responsible for a number of phenomena encountered in biological, chemical and physical processes. Surface-induced changes of material properties are not only important for the solid support but also for the liquid itself.
Among properties controlled by the specific interactions at solid/liquid interface is, e.g., crystallization and shape selective crystal growth. This is fundamental for example to the synthesis of nanoparticles with specific tailored shape/size, where the interaction between soft (surfactants/solution) and hard matter (metal), which occurs at the interface, is the key do develop unique structural properties.

I will present a few examples from my research activity where atomistic simulations, also including electronic structure, permit to unveil the peculiar properties of solid/liquid interfaces.

I will present, in particular, recent progresses in the calculation and interpretation of interface selective vibrational spectra [1,2], which permit to elucidate structural and dynamical properties of the hydrogen bond.

I will also present some recent results on the investigation of anisotropic growth in gold nanoparticles, with focus on the role of surfactants and ions in shaping the anisotropic growth [3,4,5].