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Updated: Mar 6, 2026

Author Spotlight: Unveiling the Potential of VSFG Microscopy in Studying Mesoscopically Heterogeneous Self-Assembled Structures
Published on: December 1, 2023
Surface heterogeneity and inhomogeneous broadening of vibrational line profiles
Skandar Taj1, Diane Baird1, Alexander Rosu-Finsen1
1Institute of Chemical Sciences, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, EH14 4AS, UK. ar163@hw.ac.uk.
Abstract:
The surface heterogeneity of amorphous silica (aSiO2) has been probed using coverage dependent temperature programmed desorption (TPD) of a simple probe molecule, carbon monoxide (CO). The resulting distribution of interaction energies is the foundation from which an environmentally broadened vibrational line profile synthesis has been undertaken. These simulations are compared with measured line profiles recorded at 0.1 cm-1 resolution using reflection-absorption infrared spectroscopy (RAIRS). A comparison of such line profile synthesis for CO on amorphous silica and on porous amorphous solid water (p-ASW) is also reported and conclusions are drawn as to the vibrational relaxation and surface dynamics of the CO molecule on the two surfaces.
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