Vibrational Spectroscopy

In Surface Science, vibrational spectroscopy is applied to access the lattice vibrations of materials and the characteristic vibrational modes of adsorbed molecules. It is thus an invaluable tool for the characterization of molecular adsorbates and thin layers on surfaces. Vibrational spectra can provide important information on the chemical identity and bonding characteristics of the adsorbates or, when suitable probe molecules are used, of the surface structure and available adsorption sites on surfaces.

Various methods are available to access the vibrational spectrum of adsorbed molecules. These include Infrared Reflection Absorption Spectroscopy (IRRAS), High Resolution Electron Energy Loss Spectroscopy (HREELS), Vibrational Sum Frequency Generation Spectroscopy (VSFG), and Inelastic Electron Tunneling Spectroscopy (IETS).