Embracing superficial imperfections

Chemists normally work rigorously to exclude impurities from their reactions. This is especially true for scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) experiments that can produce atomic-scale images of surfaces. Using STM to investigate processes such as catalysis usually requires pristine substrates—any flaws or foreign particles in the surface can critically interfere with the test study. Preconceptions about interface defects and catalysis are about to change, however, thanks to recently published research led by Yousoo Kim and Maki Kawai at the RIKEN Advanced Science Institute in Wako, Japan.

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