General lecture entitled Elucidating Surface Structure and Dynamics with Nonlinear Optical Spectroscopy

Chemistry Department is pleased to invite you to a general lecture entitledElucidating Surface Structure and Dynamics with Nonlinear Optical SpectroscopyPresented byDr. Fadel ShalhoutAdjunct Professor at the Art Institute of Michigan Date: Wednesday, Oct 21, 2015, Time: 3:00 pmPlace: Science Room Sci215AbstractThe surface is where the bulk begins. It is the uppermost layer of molecules or atoms in a material. While there are comparatively few molecules at the surface, some of the most important processes occur at surfaces or interfaces. The transport of ions, enzymes, and other molecules across the membrane in a cell; the conversion of toxic combustion byproducts into CO2 and water by a catalytic converter; or the oxidation of iron are just some examples of processes that take place at the surface or interface. In this talk, I will show how ultrashort laser pulses in a technique called Vibrational Sum Frequency Generation Spectroscopy are used to investigate the chemical structure and dynamics of two systems: (1) the methyl-terminated crystalline silicon surface and (2) CO adsorption on roughened gold surfaces.Biography2006 B.S. Chemistry Honors (Mathematics Minor) from Wayne State University (Detroit, Michigan, USA)2013 Ph.D. Physical Chemistry from University of Southern California (Los Angeles, CA, USA) Awards:The Michael J. Dulligan Memorial Fellowship (USC Dept. of Chemistry), 2013, Outstanding Graduate Research in the Area of Physical Chemistry