Eric I. Altman
Ph.D., University of Pennsylvania
Interests:
Research focuses on understanding and exploiting chemical processes that take place on solid surfaces ranging from heterogeneous catalysis to the formation and characterization of novel materials. The work is primarily experimental with theory providing guidance on the key experiments to perform and on understanding the results. The research is intrinsically interdisciplinary with collaborations ranging from Applied Physics to Chemistry to Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science. Current efforts are aimed at: 1) novel two-dimensional van der Waals forms of silicates and related materials that serve as planar models for atomic level understanding of catalytic reactions promoted by these materials, as potential "ultimate" atomically thin membranes for separations, and as atomically thin piezoelectrics; 2) using atomic force microscopy to probe the intermolecular interactions on surfaces that lead to catalytic reactions; and 3) switchable surfaces that can help realize challenging reactions that are at the heart of efficient and environmentally benign energy utilization.
Selected Awards & Honors:
- Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE)
- Fellow of the American Vacuum Society
- Member of the Connecticut Academy of Science and Engineering
Selected Publications:
- E.I. Altman, "Group III Phosphates as Two-Dimensional van der Waals Materials," Journal of Physical Chemistry C 121 (2017) 16328.
- J.-H. Jhang, C. Zhou, O.E. Dagdeviren, U.D. Schwarz and E.I. Altman, "Growth of Two-Dimensional Silica and Aluminosilicate Bilayers on Pd(111): From Incommensurate to Commensurate Crystalline," Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics 19 (2017) 14001.
- G.S. Hutchings, J.-H. Jhang, C. Zhou, D. Hynek, U.D. Schwarz and E.I. Altman, "Epitaxial NixPd1-x (111) Alloy Substrates with Continuously Tunable Lattice Constants for 2D Materials Growth," ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces 9 (2017) 11266.
- L. Kornblum, D.P. Fenning, J. Faucher, J. Hwang, A. Boni, M.G. Han, M.D. Morales-Acosta, Y. Zhu, E.I. Altman, M.L. Lee, C.H. Ahn, F.J. Walker, and Y. Shao-Horn, "Catalyst-Free Solar Hydrogen Production at Neutral pH," Energy and Environmental Science 10 (2017) 377.
- O.E. Dagdeviren, C. Zhou, K. Zou, G.H. Simon, S.D. Albright, S. Mandal, M.D. Morales-Acosta, X. Zhu, U.D. Schwarz, S. Ismail-Beigi, F.J. Walker, C.H. Ahn and E.I. Altman, "Sub-nanometer Structural and Electronic Properties of Epitaxial Topological Crystalline Insulator Films," Advanced Materials Interfaces 4 (2017) 1601011.
- A. Malashevich, S. Ismail-Beigi and E.I. Altman, "Directing the Structure of Two-Dimensional Silica and Silicates," Journal of Physical Chemistry C 120 (2016) 26670.
- O.E. Dagdeviren, J. Götzen, E.I. Altman and U.D. Schwarz, "Exploring Site-Specific Chemical Interactions at Surfaces: A Case Study on Highly Ordered Pyrolytic Graphite," Nanotechnology 27 (2016) 485708.
- W. Liu, E. Hu, H. Jiang, Z. Weng, M. Li, Q. Fan, X. Yu, E.I. Altman, and H. Wang, "A Highy-Active and Stable Hydrogen Evolution Catalyst Based on Pyrite-Structured Cobalt Phosphosulfide," Nature Communications 7 (2016) 10771.
- O.E. Dagdeviren, J. Götzen, H. Hölscher, E.I. Altman, and U.D. Schwarz, "Robust High-Resolution Imaging and Quantitative Force Measurement with Tuned-Oscillator Atomic Force Microscopy," Nanotechnology 27 (2016) 065703.
- A. Kakekhani, S. Ismail-Beigi, and E.I. Altman, "Ferroelectrics: A Pathway to Switchable Surface Chemistry and Catalysis," Surface Science (Invited) 650 (2016) 302.
- X. Zhu, M.D. Morales-Acosta, J. Shen, F.J. Walker, J.J. Cha, and E.I. Altman, "The Growth, Structure and Electronic Properties of Non-Polar Thin Films on a Polar Substrate: Cr2O3 on ZnO(0001) and ZnO(000), Physical Review B 92 (2015) 165414.
- E.I. Altman, M.Z. Baykara, and U.D. Schwarz, "Noncontact Atomic Force Microscopy: An Emerging Tool for Fundamental Catalysis Research," Accounts of Chemical Research (Invited) 48 (2015) 2640.