Speaker
Description
This project explores the controlled deposition of amino acid molecules onto mineral surfaces relevant to the early Earth environment, under ultra-high vacuum conditions. As an initial step, suitable substrate materials were characterized. Reflectance Anisotropy Spectroscopy (RAS) and X-ray Photoemission Spectroscopy (XPS) were employed to investigate layered systems such as Ge₂Sb₂Te₅, as well as TiO₂ and GeAs, which serve as substrates of both physical relevance and scientific interest. Complementary experiments were also carried out on chiral molecules in liquid solution using CD-RAS, providing insights into their optical activity. Furthermore, the project included initial developments in on-surface synthesis techniques, laying the groundwork for future studies on molecular aggregation processes and their correlation with temperature.
