Our research group is primarily interested in understanding how to control the activity and selectivity of heterogeneous catalysts. Our goal is to characterise the structure, composition and adsorption properties of the surfaces of model metallic and bimetallic catalysts using a range of ultrahigh vacuum (UHV) based surface analytical techniques (e.g. scanning tunneling microscopy (STM); reflection absorption infrared spectroscopy (RAIRS) and medium energy ion scattering (MEIS)). In addition, in order to focus on more catalytically relevant interfaces, we have recently enhanced our equipment base to enable in situ STM and RAIRS measurements at the gas-solid or liquid-solid interface.

One of our major Research Areas is the development of chiral heterogeneous catalysts via the creation of enantiospecific adsorption sites on metal surfaces either by the adsorption of chiral molecules onto achiral metal surfaces, or by the corrosion of metal surfaces by chiral molecules, or by the nucleation and growth of intrinsically chiral metal nanoparticles.

SELECTED RECENT PUBLICATIONS

1. Alloy formation in the Au{111}/Ni system - an investigation with Scanning Tunnelling Microscopy and Medium Energy Ion Scattering. A G Trant, T E Jones, J Gustafson, T C Q Noakes, P Bailey, C J Baddeley, Surface Science, 2009 603, 571-579
2. Coupling of triamines with diisocyanates on Au(111) leads to the formation of polyurea networks. S Jensen, H A Fruchtl, C J Baddeley, Journal of the American Chemical Society 2009 131 16706.
3. Giving surfaces a hand. C. J. Baddeley, Nature Chem. 2009 1 345.
4. Structure and catalytic reactivity of Rh oxides. J Gustafson, R Westerstrom, A Resta, A Mikkelsen, J Andersen, O Balmes, X Torrelles, M Schmid, P Varga, B Hammer, G Kresse, C J Baddeley, E Lundgren, Catalysis Today 2009 145 227.
5. The driving forces underlying the formation of chiral domains of fluorinated diacids on graphite. S N Patole, C J Baddeley, M Schueler, D O'Hagan, N V Richardson, Langmuir 2009 25 1412.