Professor Francisco Zaera of the Department of Chemistry at the University of California, Riverside (UCR)

Francisco Zaera
Professor of Chemistry
with research in
Physical Chemistry
Materials Chemistry
Analytical Chemistry

B.S., 1979, Simón Bolívar University, Caracas, Venezuela
Ph.D., 1984, University of California, Berkeley
Postdoctoral Fellow, 1984-86, Brookhaven National Laboratory
2008 ACS Arthur W. Adamson Award for Distinguished Service in the Advancement of Surface Chemistry
2005 Elected American Vacuum Society Fellow
2004 Humboldt Research Award for Senior U.S. Scientist
2003 North American Catalysis Society Paul H. Emmett Award
2001 ACS George A. Olah Award in Hydrocarbon or Petroleum Chemistry
2001 Elected American Association for the Advancement of Science Fellow
1994 and 1995 Union Carbide Innovation Recognition Program Award
1993 Gran Mariscal de Ayacucho Visiting Professorship
Senior Editor, The Journal of Physical Chemistry (2007-present)
Editor, The Journal of Molecular Catalysis A: Chemical (1998-2007)
Editorial Board Member, Topics in Catalysis (2004-present)
Editorial Board Member, Catalysis Letters (2004-present)
Editorial Board Member, Langmuir (1997-1998)
Vice-Chair, Chair-Elect, Chair, Colloids and Surface Chemistry Division, American Chemical Society (2005-2007)
Treasurer, Colloids and Surface Chemistry Division, ACS (1997, 1998)
President and Secretary-Treasurer, California Catalysis Society (1990-1992)

Office:	Chemical Sciences 1 142
Office Hours:
Lab:	Chemical Sciences 1 135
Phone:	951-827-5498
email:	francisco.zaera[at]ucr.edu

Zaera Group Site

The overall goal of our research is to understand the mechanism of surface reactions at the molecular level. Our studies are directed towards the characterization of key stable and unstable moieties relevant to heterogeneous catalysis, chemical vapor deposition, and other materials processes. We use a large combination of surface-sensitive techniques, including thermal programmed desorption (TPD), infrared (IR), X-ray photoelectron (XPS), statis secondary ion mass (SSIMS), ion scattering (ISS), low energy electron diffraction (LEED) and Auger electron (AES) spectroscopies in conjunction with molecular beams and high pressure cells, and other spectroscopies.

One of our main projects focuses on the surface reactions of hydrocarbon species involved in catalytic reforming and in oxidation processes. We aim to understand the thermodynamic and kinetic forces responsible for the activity and selectivity of conversion reactions involving small hydrocarbons on metal and oxide surfaces. We have recently embarked in the study of ways to impart chirality to surfaces in order to promote enantioselectivity to heterogeneous catalytic processes. We also work on a number of other catalytic problems, including the catalytic conversion of NO, CO, and other poisonous gases responsible for air pollution.

A second program is directed toward issues associated with materials chemistry. We are studying the mechanisms of chemical vapor deposition (CVD) processes, in particular the newer atomic layer deposition (ALD) approach, focusing on the kinetics of the elementary decomposition steps of the molecules used as precursors as well as on the morphology of the resulting films.

Selected Publications (out of ~250)

I. Lee, F. Delbecq, R. Morales, M. A. Albiter, and F. Zaera, Tuning Selectivity in Catalysis by Controlling Particle Shape, Nature Mater., submitted.

I. Lee, Z. Ma, S. Kaneko, and F. Zaera, 1-(1-Naphthyl)Ethylamine Adsorption on Platinum Surfaces: On the Mechanism of Chiral Modification in Catalysis, J. Am. Chem. Soc., in press.

I. Lee, R. Morales, M. A. Albiter, and F. Zaera, Synthesis of Heterogeneous Catalysts with Well-Shaped Platinum Particles to Control Reaction Selectivity, Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci., in press.

F. Zaera, Chiral Modification of Solid Surfaces: A Molecular Level View (Centennial Feature Article), J. Phys. Chem. C, in press.

I. Lee, M. K. Nguyen, T. H. Morton, and F. Zaera, Thermal Chemistry of 1,4-Difluoro-2-Butenes on Pt(111) Single-Crystal Surfaces, J. Phys. Chem. C, 112(36), 14117-14123 (2008).

M. Shen and F. Zaera, Hydrocarbon Chain Growth on V(100) Single-Crystal Surfaces Via Vinyl Intermediates, Angew. Chem., 47 (35), 6583-6585 (2008).

F. Zaera, The Surface Chemistry of Thin Film Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) Processes for Electronic Device Manufacturing, J. Mater. Chem., 18, 3521-3526 (2008).

B. Brandt, J.-H. Fischer, W. Ludwig, J. Libuda, F. Zaera, S. Schauermann, H.-J. Freund, Isomerization and Hydrogenation of cis-2-butene on Pd Model Catalysts, J. Phys. Chem. C, 112(30), 11408-11420 (2008).

F. Anariba, H. Tiznado, J. R. Diers, I. Schmidt, A. Z. Muresan, J. S. Lindsey, F. Zaera, and D. F. Bocian, Comprehensive Characterization of Hybrid Junctions Comprised of a Porphyrin Monolayer Sandwiched Between a Coinage Metal Overlayer and a Si(100) Substrate, J. Phys. Chem. C, 112(25), 9474-9485 (2008).

L. Mink, Z. Ma, R. A. Olsen, J. N. James, D. S. Sholl, L. J. Mueller, and F. Zaera, The Physico-Chemical Properties of Cinchona Alkaloids Responsible for their Unique Performance in Chiral Catalysis, Top. Catal., 48(1-4), 120-127 (2008).

M. Shen and F. Zaera, Methanol Adsorption on Clean and Oxygen-Predosed V(100) Single-Crystal Surfaces, J. Phys. Chem. C, 112(5), 1636-1644 (2008).

H. Tiznado, M. Bouman, B.-C. Kang, I. Lee, and F. Zaera, Mechanistic Details of Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) Processes for Metal Nitride Film Growth, J. Mol. Catal. A, 281, 35-43 (2008).

F. Zaera, Surface Science Studies of the Mechanism of NOx Conversion: Correlations between Kinetics in Vacuum and Under Catalytic Conditions, in Past and Present in DeNOx Catalysis: From Molecular Modeling to Chemical Engineering (Studies in Surface Science and Catalysis Series, Vol. 171), Pascal Granger and Vasile I. Pârvulescu, Editors, Elsevier, Amsterdam, 2007, pp.67-96.

J. Wilson, H. Guo, R. Morales, E. Podgornov, I. Lee and F. Zaera, Kinetic Measurements of Hydrocarbon Conversion Reactions on Model Metal Surfaces, Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 9(29), 3830-3852 (2007).

Z. Ma and F. Zaera, Organic Chemistry on Solid Surfaces, Surf. Sci. Rep., 61(5), 229-282 (2006).

F. Zaera, Surface Chemistry of Hydrocarbon Fragments on Transition Metals: Towards Understanding Catalytic Processes (2003 North America Catalysis Society Paul H. Emmett Award Lecture), Catal. Lett., 91(1-2), 1-10 (2003).