1997 Noranda Award Lecture Chemical applications of electron-matter interactions: from probing low-temperature industrial plasmas and atmospheric chemistry of ''environment-safe'' Freon substitutes to enhancing novel surface reactions on metals and semiconductors

Since the discovery of the electron by Sir Joseph John Thomson a century ago, the limitless applications of the electron in chemistry have been both profound and fun. We present recent results from two of our experiments that involve such applications of the electron beam in the study of new aspects of gas-phase chemical physics and of surface chemistry. In particular, our precise measurements of momentum-transfer-resolved ''absolute'' excitation transition probabilities of the low-lying transitions in ''environment-safe'' Freon substitutes using a high-energy electron beam are finding applications in the modelling of low-temperature industrial plasma and atmospheric processes. The use of low-energy electrons as a powerful in situ means to activate and to probe ''novel'' surface reactions, including oxide and carbide formation and CO oxidation, has been demonstrated on Cu(100) and Si(111) surfaces. These experiments further illustrate the value and the enormous potential of technological payoffs of electron-based fundamental research.