Materials Science Division

Present Position

• Postdoctoral Research Associate Enrico Fermi Institute University of Chicago

Current Research Interest

• Trace, elemental, and isotope distribution analysis of presolar interstellar grains, and molecular surface analysis, by Resonance and Single-photon Ionization Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry.

Education

• PhD Chemistry, 2000, University of Pittsburgh Dissertation: "Special Adsorption and Reaction Effects at Step Defect Sites on Pt Single Crystal Surfaces"Advisor: Prof. John T. Yates, Jr., Director of the Surface Science Center
• B.S. Chemistry, 1994, University of Bucharest, Romania

Research Interest

• Investigation of surface chemistry on metal single crystal surfaces by photo- and thermochemistry, adsorption, desorption, reaction kinetics, selective and sequential occupation of active sites, isotope labeling, mimicking of heterogeneous catalysis on model catalyst.
• Structure of adsorbed species and reaction intermediates on well-defined single crystal surfaces.
• Single crystal surface preparation, cleaning, and characterization.
• Surface Science instrumentation and methods: Reflection-Absorption Infrared (RAIR) Spectroscopy, Mass Spectrometry, Auger Electron Spectroscopy (AES), Low-Energy Electron Diffraction (LEED).

Personal Affiliations

• American Chemical Society, 1999 - present
• American Vacuum Society, 1997 - present
• AWARDS: 1999 - Graduate Research Award (American Vacuum Society)
• 1991-94 - National Merit Scholarship, University of Bucharest, Romania
• 1988 - Silver Medal, 20th International Chemistry Olympiad, Finland
• 1988 - Gold Medal, 2nd Balkan Chemistry Olympiad, Bulgaria
• 1984-88 - Winner of several medals, National Chemistry Olympiad, Romania

Publications

• C.E. Tripa, T.S. Zubkov, and J.T. Yates, Jr., "N2 Chemisorption on Stepped Pt Surfaces - Control by 2-D and 1-D Precursor Behavior", J.Phys. Chem. B 105 (2001) 3724-32.
• T. S. Zubkov, C. E. Tripa, and J. T. Yates, Jr., "1-D Reversible Phase of Chemisorbed N2 on Stepped Pt Surfaces", J. Phys. Chem. B 105(2001) 3733-40.
• C.E. Tripa and J.T. Yates, Jr., "Surface-Aligned Photochemistry - Aiming Reactive Oxygen Atoms Along a Single Crystal Surface", J. Chem.Phys. 112 (2000) 2463-9.
• C.E. Tripa and J.T. Yates, Jr., "Surface-aligned Reaction of Photogenerated Oxygen Atoms with Carbon Monoxide Targets", Nature 398(1999) 591-3.
• C.E. Tripa, T.S. Zubkov, and J.T. Yates, Jr., M. Mavrikakis, and J.K.Norskov, "Molecular N2 Chemisorption - Specific Adsorption on Step Defect Sites on Pt Surfaces", J. Chem. Phys. 111 (1999) 8651-8.
• C.E. Tripa and J.T. Yates, Jr., "Step Defect Sites: The SitesResponsible for Molecular Nitrogen Chemisorption on Pt Surface", Rev.Roum. Chim. 44 (1999) 1035-9.
• C.R. Arumainayagam, C.E. Tripa, J. Xu, and J.T. Yates, Jr., "IR Spectroscopy of Adsorbed Dinitrogen: A Sensitive Probe of Defect Sites on Pt(111)", Surf. Sci. 360(1996) 121-7.
• C.E. Tripa, C.R. Arumainayagam, and J.T. Yates, Jr., "Kinetics Measurements of CO Photo-oxidation on Pt(111)", J. Chem. Phys. 105(1996) 1691-6.
• C.E. Tripa and J.T. Yates, Jr., "Surface Flatness of Polished Metal Single Crystals", J. Vac. Sci. Technol. A 14 (1996) 2544-6.
• C.E. Tripa and J.T. Yates, Jr., "Photochemistry of O2 on Stepped Pt Surfaces: Enhanced O2 Photodissociation at Step Sites", J. Chem. Phys.(accepted).
• B.V. King, M.R. Savina, C.E. Tripa, W.F. Calaway, I.V. Veryovkin, J.F. Moore, and M.J. Pellin, "Single Photon Ionisation of Self Assembled Monolayers", Proceedings of the 15th International Conference on Ion Beam Analysis, Cairns, Australia (submitted).

Ppaers Presented at Conference

• C. E. Tripa and J. T. Yates, Jr., "Photodesorption and Photodissociation of O2 on Stepped Pt Surfaces", 44th Annual Symposium of the American Vacuum Society, 19-24 October 1997, San Jose, CA.

Invited Talks

• 18 June 1999 - Center for Atomic-scale Materials Physics (CAMP), Dept. of Physics, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, Denmark
• 16 June 1999 - Dept. of Physics, Prof. A.M. Lehmann's group, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
• 9 June 1999 - Dept. of Physics, University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany

Scientific Research Abroard

• 18 May - 7 July 1999: "Hyperpolarized 8Li-NMR on Stepped Ru(109) Surface" at Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics, Heidelberg, Germany (funded by NSF).