'Atomic' XAFS as a probe of electronic structure

Atomic XAFS (AXAFS) offers the potential for a new tool to gain relatively detailed electronic structure and polarization information on systems, in-s itu, that may not contain long range geometric order. We have shown previou sly that AXAFS can monitor changes in the charge of less than 0.05e per sur face Pt atom on a metallic cluster, and "sees" interactions from ions 2 and 3 shells removed from the absorber atom. The AXAFS lineshape allows a diff erentiation between the through space field polarization and the through bo nd inductive effects. Applications have been made to In situ Pt electrodes, ion-cation interactions in solution, and supported noble metal catalysts.