George Andermann

Professor

University of Hawaii at Manoa
Department of Chemistry
2545 The Mall, Honolulu,
HI 96822-2275

Phone: (808) 956-8174
Fax: (808) 956-5908
Email: george@gold.chem.hawaii.edu

 
 

George Andermann recieved his B.S. in 1949 from UCLA. He worked in industry until 1963 and then returned to school to recieve his M.S. in 1961 and Ph.D. in 1965, both from USC. He joined the University of Hawaii in 1965. He was awarded a NATO Senior Fellowship in 1973. His research interests are physical-analytical chemistry, material science, cold fusion, and chemical physics.

 
 

Our Research areas include:

  • X-ray fluorescence spectroscopic (XFS) instrumentation,
  • XFS methods for surface, thin film, multilayer, and interfacial elemental and chemical speciation analysis,
  • Molecular spectroscopic, especially high resolution soft XFS techniques for the characterization of superconductive, magnetic storage materials, natural products, such as seabed deposits (ferro-manganese crusts),
  • The conversion of above natural products to useful electrical and gas adsorptive substances for air pollution control, and
  • The theoretical and experimental investigation of 'cold fusion'.

In 1981 we completed the construction of a unique, high resolution (0.005 to 0.1 eV) 5 M grating spectrometer dedicated for ultrasoft (lambda>10Å) XFS studies of chemical bonding using photographic and photoelectric detection. In 1984, we developed a new accessory based on variable grazing angle sample optics to achieve surface analysis capability with XFS.

Current plans include:

  1. evaluation of a plasma source excitation system
  2. development of a high speed position sensing detection system
  3. refurbishing of our double crystal spectrometer for studies below 10 Å and
  4. design of a high speed-high resolution grating spectrometer for the new Advanced Light Source (Synchrotron at Berkeley) to study reflection spectroscopy.

In our studies (C&EN, 5/8/85 p. 28) we demonstrated that variable angle XFS is a useful surface-thin film analytical tool in terms of non-destructive sample depth profiling in an overall thickness (t) range of 10 to 106Å with elemental and chemical speciation analytical capabilities for micro and macroscopic characterization (1). This technique can be utilized with ultrahigh vacuum or with real world, ambient sample surface conditions. For lambda<10Å interfacial studies involving solids, liquids, and gases are feasible. Applications have included the determination of thickness of multilayer systems of interest in magnetic thin films, and detailed evaluation of corrosion of Cu, Fe, Ni, Co, Cr and Al. Current interests include corrosion studies of metal surfaces in methanol fuel systems in alternate energy development. Recently (2), in cooperation with IBM we have discovered a non-destructive methodology for characterizing 'buried' interfaces.

Studying various Mn-Oxides, we have found that using L Beta/L alpha intensity ratio values lead us to believe that there may be a charge transfer between Mn and O atoms (3). Using the L beta/ L alpha intensity ratio techniques on Cu-Oxide high Tc superconductors, it was found that this ratio had to be 0.33 for any material to superconduct (4).

At the recent 2000 Pac. Chem. Congress we have provided a terse review of our 35 years of involvement in molecular, high- resolution XFS (5). We have summed up our experiences in using XFS as a central atom and a ligand atom probe in studying valence electron structures of some 85 different compounds.

At this Congress we also disclosed that very low electron kinetic energies, below about 1 KeV, were extremely efficient in exciting ultra-soft X-ray spectra, providing trace analysis at surfaces, or limits of detection, for example, of Al, in the picogram range (6).

At the same Congress we showed that Carbon K and Iron L emission spectroscopies are useful tools in characterizing methanol induced corrosion products obtained with galvanostatic treatment of iron surfaces(7) .We also reported (8) that our select ferro-manganese crust's Carbon K emission was primarily due to organic compounds rather than inorganic carbonates.

We also showed at this Congress that our select marine ferro-manganese crust material had unusually high and selective sorption characteristics for gases with possible application in air pollution control (9).

Finally, at this Congress we also presented data on anomalous Si Solubility in a select ferro-manganese crust (10).

Currently (11,12) we are developing a new theoretical model to rationalize the events reported by investigators for the so-called 'cold fusion' phenomenon. The proposed model is based on the electron capture of the D 1s electron to yield a di-neutron, Nu. The subsequent thermal adsorption of Nu is responsible for the reported 'cold fusion' events. Preliminary experiments are under way.

 
 

Representative Publications

  1. "Surface-Film and Interfacial Analysis Via Variable Grazing Exit Angle X-Ray Fluorescence Spectrometry." G. Andermann, Appl. Surf. Sci. 31, 1-40 (1988).
  2. "Characterization of Permalloy Thin Films Via Variable Sample Exit Angle Ultrasoft X-Ray Fluorescence Spectrometry." G. Andermann, F. Fujiwara, T.C. Huang, J.K. Howard, N. Stand, Adv. in X-Ray Anal. 32, 261 (1989).
  3. "Evaluation of the Mn L alpha and L beta Spectra of Mn Metal and of various Mn-Oxides" N. Yoshikawa, G. Andermann, F. Fujiwara, and T. Scimeca, Spec. Letters, 30 (7), 1211 (1997).
  4. "X-Ray Fluorescence Spectroscopic Studies of High Tc Superconductors" F. Fujiwara.T. Scimeca, L. Ratnapala, and G.Andermann, Spec. Letters, 30(3) 575 (1997).
  5. "A Terse Review of the Development of Molecular, Soft and Ultra-Soft X-Ray Emission Spectroscopy at the Univ. of Hawaii" G. Andermann and F. Fujiwara, 2000 Pac. Chem. Congress, Abstract Number 325. To be submitted to X-Ray Spectrometry.
  6. "Trace Analysis at Surfaces by Ultra-Soft X-Ray Emission Spectrometry" G. Andermann, T. Scimeca, C.H. Zhang, 2000 Pac. Chem. Congress, Abstract Number 321, To be submited to X-Ray Spectrometry.
  7. "Carbon K and L Emission Spectroscopy as Useful Tools in Characterizing Methanol Induced Corrosion Products Obtained with Galvanostatic Treatment of Iron" G. Andermann, D. Boucher, F. Fujiwara, B. Liebert, 2000 Pac. Chem. Congress, Abstract Number 326, To be submitted to Anal. Chem.
  8. "Soft X-Ray Spectroscop-Carbon Content of Ferro-Manganese Crusts" G. Andermann, F. Fujiwara, G. Kawamoto, P. Wong, 2000 Pac. Chem. Congress. Abstaract Number 184, To be submitted to Geochemica Acta.
  9. "Thermal Desorption and Adsorption of Gases with Marine Ferro-Manganese Crust Materials Gathered from the Pacific Basin" G. Andermann, N. Pandya, S.Bailey, P. Gu, and G. Kawamoto, 2000 Pac. Chem .Congress, Abstract Number 128., To be submitted to Geochem. Acta.
  10. "Anomalous Si Solubility in a Selected Ferro-Manganese Crust" G. Andermann, M. Sipin, A. Hee, D. Navas, 2000 Pac. Chem .Congress, Abstract Number 129., To be submitted to Geochem. Acta.
  11. "Low Temperature Nuclear Transformation of Deuterium," G. Andermann, U.S. Patent File No. 552, 534, Feb. 12, 1990.
  12. "A New Theoretical Model (Nu-Qº) for Rationalizing Various Events of 'Cold Fusion' in Deuterium Loaded Palladium Cathodes," G. Andermann, Proceedings of First Annual Conference on Cold Fusion 1990.

 
Last updated 01/31/01