Prof Neville V Richardson

Prof Neville V Richardson

Emeritus Professor

Researcher profile

Email
neville.richardson@st-andrews.ac.uk

 

Research areas

The Chemistry of Molecules at Surfaces. *Understanding the fundamental aspects of the interactions of molecules with surfaces underpins many advanced technologies, such as molecular electronics, optoelectronics, sensors, heterogeneous catalysis, displays, functional coatings etc. It is a challenge to the surface scientist to unravel the intricacies of these interactions and to design novel systems to exploit molecular and surface properties to advantage. *Multifunctional molecules at surfaces display a rich and varied chemisorption behaviour. On the one hand, bonding to semiconductor surfaces tends to be dominated by strong covalent interactions, limited adsorbate diffusion and structures which are relatively insensitive to coverage and temperature. On the other hand, on metal surfaces where diffusion is relatively uninhibited a subtle balance between interadsorbate, lateral interactions and adsorbate-substrate bonding determines the molecular orientation, the two-dimensional crystallinity and in turn the electronic properties and reactivity.*Our current work is focused in the following areas:Organic molecules at silicon surfaces; Amino acids at metal surfaces; Polyaromatics and macrocylic molecules at metal and semiconductor surfaces; Alumina surfaces; The role of proteoglycans in surface biology; Carbon deposition on marine sediments

Selected publications

 

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