Report Title: Ultra-High-Resolution Visualization Research in Surface and Interface Science
Speaker:Zhou Xiong, Associate Researcher, Peking University
Inviter:Professor Liang Zhenxing
Time: July 8, 2025 (Tuesday), 10:00-11:00
Venue: Conference Room 904-2, Building B13, University Town Campus
We welcome all faculty and students to participate!
School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering
July 7, 2025
Speaker Introduction:
Zhou Xiong is an associate researcher at Peking University. He obtained his Bachelor’s degree in Science from Peking University in 2009 and his PhD in Physical Chemistry from the same institution in 2014. He was a postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Chemistry at the National University of Singapore from 2015 to 2016, and worked as a senior engineer at Sinopec Synthetic Oil Technology Co., Ltd. from 2016 to 2020. Since 2020, he has been with the School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering at Peking University. In 2022, he was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China’s Excellent Young Scholars Program and was elected as a member of the National Surface Chemistry Analysis Standardization Technical Committee in 2024. He conducts ultra-high-resolution visualization research in surface and interface science and has published over 60 papers in academic journals such as Science, J. Am. Chem. Soc., and Angew. Chem. Int. Ed.
Report Abstract:
Surface and interface science plays a crucial role in various fields, including catalysis, superconductivity, and chip technology. Traditional methods focus on the structure-performance relationship, yet many surfaces and interfaces with different structures and compositions exhibit similar properties, in which the electronic state is a key common factor determining their characteristics. Based on this understanding, we focus our research on the electronic states at surfaces and interfaces, utilizing ultra-high-resolution visualization characterization techniques such as scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). We have innovatively developed research methods such as molecular dynamics visualization and electronic state visualization, allowing us to intuitively reveal the microscopic mechanisms of surface interactions at the atomic scale and establish correlations between electronic states and properties of surfaces and interfaces: (1) In the study of molecular dynamics visualization and ethylene polymerization on the surface, we found that the Fe3 sites on the surface of iron carbide can selectively activate the C=C bond of ethylene, achieving linear polymerization, and revealed mechanisms for ethylene isomerization chain initiation and insertion polymerization. By combining theoretical calculations, we established a correlation between local orbitals and catalytic activity, extending applications to low-temperature activation of CO2. (2) In the study of atomic spin states, we designed a series of bimetallic structure models, confirming the critical role of oxygen atoms in spin superexchange, and by adjusting the types of metals, we enhanced the spin coupling strength to 55 meV (Fe-O-Co), providing new ideas for the design of magnetic materials. (3) In the study of ionic charge states, we developed charge state imaging techniques to visualize and differentiate the coordination behaviors of lithium and magnesium ions. This finding provides microscopic mechanistic support for separation technologies such as lithium extraction from salt lakes.
