Speaker: Jerry LaRue, SUNCAT
Program Description
Femtosecond visible laser pulses can be used to drive catalytically important reactions on metal surfaces. We studied the femtosecond dynamics of laser-induced CO-based reactions on a metal surface using the Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS) free electron x-ray laser at SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory. Changes in the electronic structure of surface species were monitored during the bond making and bond breaking processes by selectively probing the O atoms using soft x-ray absorption and emission spectroscopies. From these, we obtained time-resolved electronic structure maps of different surface species along the reaction pathway, providing new insights into surface reaction dynamics in catalysis.
