Atomic-layer 2D crystals have unique properties that can be significantly modified through interaction with an underlying support. For epitaxial graphene on SiC(0001), the interface strongly influences the electronic properties of the overlaying graphene. We demonstrate a novel combination of x-ray scattering and spectroscopy for studying the complexities of such a buried interface structure. T...

Using a combinatorial approach, Cr, Al and C have been deposited onto sapphire wafer substrates by High Power Impulse Magnetron Sputtering (HiPIMS) and DC magnetron sputtering. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, X-ray absorption spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction were employed to determine the composition and microstructure of the coatings and confirm the presence of the Cr2AlC MAX phase within ...

A series of mesoporous silicas impregnated with nanocrystalline sulphated zirconia was prepared by a sol-gel process using an ionic liquid-templated route. The physicochemical properties of the mesoporous sulphated zirconia materials were studied using characterisation techniques such as inductively coupled optical emission spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, ener...

Ti-A-C-Ag (A is Si, Ge or Sn) nanocomposite coatings have been deposited by dc magnetron sputtering in an ultra high vacuum chamber. Electron microscopy, energydispersive x-ray spectroscopy, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and x-ray diffraction show that all coatings contain nanocrystalline TiC and Ag grains in a matrix of mainly amorphous C. A C/Ti ratio above unity yields a homogenous distr...

Tungsten oxide (WO3) nanorods array prepared using chemical vapor deposition techniques was studied. The influence of oxygen gas concentration on the nanoscale tungsten oxide structure was observed; it was responsible for the stoichiometric and morphology variation from nanoscale particle to nanorods array. Experimental results also indicated that the deposition temperature was highly related t...

5 1 Conceptual approach 8 1.1 Scope of this thesis 8 1.2 Electronic and geometric effects in bimetallic catalysts 10 1.3 Mixed Oxides 11 1.4 (Strong) metal-support interaction 12 1.5 The role of the Pd-hydride phases 14 1.6 Oxide-supported Pd bimetallics in methanol steam reforming 14 1.7 Model Systems 21 2 Appendix: Experimental approach and methods 25 2.1 Electron Microscopy and related techn...

This study examined the effects of different treatments (polished, electropolished, and grit-blasted) on the surface morphology and chemistry of commercially pure titanium and titanium-6% aluminum-4% vanadium. The structure and composition of the surfaces were evaluated using scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, energy dispersive spectroscopy, Auger microprobe analysis, and x-...

Radiation damage is a major limitation in crystallography of biological macromolecules, even for cryocooled samples, and is particularly acute in microdiffraction. For the X-ray energies most commonly used for protein crystallography at synchrotron sources, photoelectrons are the predominant source of radiation damage. If the beam size is small relative to the photoelectron path length, then th...