Dresden 2026 – scientific programme
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O: Fachverband Oberflächenphysik
O 80: Gerhard Ertl Young Investigator Award Competition
O 80.1: Talk
Thursday, March 12, 2026, 10:30–11:00, TRE/PHYS
Surface chemistry of silicate minerals at the atomic scale — Luca Lezuo1, Andrea Conti1, Alexander Hoheneder1, Elena Vaníčková2, Domitilla Aloi1, Rainer Abart3, Florian Mittendorfer1, Michael Schmid1, Ulrike Diebold1, and •Giada Franceschi1 — 1Inst. Appl. Phys., TU Wien, Austria — 2CEITEC, Brno, Czechia — 3Dept. Lithospheric Res., Uni Wien, Austria
Silicate minerals underpin key processes in geochemistry, atmospheric science, and materials technology, yet their atomic-scale surface chemistry remains insufficiently understood. Their intrinsic heterogeneity and electrical insulation have limited experimental characterization, leaving most mechanistic insight to simulations. Here, we extend the capabilities of noncontact atomic force microscopy (ncAFM) in ultrahigh vacuum to achieve atomic and chemical resolution on natural silicates such as muscovite mica,1,2 feldspar microcline3 and wollastonite.4 Our measurements provide direct evidence for processes central to mineral reactivity, such as ion hydration, ice nucleation, and carbonation reactions. They demonstrate that ncAFM affords fundamental insights previously restricted to theory and offer benchmark data to guide and challenge emerging computational models of mineral-gas interactions.
1G.F. et al., Nat. Commun. 14, 208 (2023); 2G.F. et al., Faraday Discuss. 249, 84 (2024); 3G.F. et al., JPCL 15, 15 (2023); 4Conti et al., submitted (2025).
Keywords: mineral surfaces; surface chemistry; ice nucleation; carbonation; afm