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Infrared Spectroscopy in Surface Science: The Legacy of John T. Yates, Jr. (Invited Talk)

Thursday, November 10, 2016, 5:00 pm, Room 103C

A constant theme throughout the long scientific career of John T. Yates, Jr. was the use of infrared spectroscopy to probe the properties of surfaces and of adsorbed molecules. In his very first publication in 1961, based on his PhD thesis from MIT, he used transmission infrared spectroscopy to study the interaction of carbon monoxide with alumina-supported nickel surfaces. He continued to use innovative methods of transmission infrared spectroscopy in his laboratories at the National Bureau of Standards, the University of Pittsburgh, and the University of Virginia. The final publication of his career, which appeared in 2016, featured transmission IR spectra of CO interacting with the surfaces of titania-supported gold. In addition to transmission IR spectroscopy of high-area powdered samples, he was also a leader in the use of reflection absorption infrared spectroscopy (RAIRS), also known as infrared reflection absorption spectroscopy (IRAS), a method that allows IR spectra to be obtained on small-area metal single crystals. RAIRS is one of the few surface science techniques that can be used both under UHV conditions as well as in the presence of an ambient pressure of gas. John Yates was a pioneer in bridging the so-called pressure gap by using RAIRS to probe gas-surface interactions in the presence of elevated gas pressures. Recent examples from other research groups will be presented to highlight the continuing impact John Yates has had in the use of infrared spectroscopy in surface science.