Picture of Andrew Grosvenor

Andrew Grosvenor B.Sc., M.Sc., Ph.D.

Professor

Faculty Member in Chemistry

Office
Thorvaldson 356

Research Area(s)

  • How structural and compositional changes affect the electronic structure of rare-earth (and transition-metal) oxides, silicates, and pnictides using X-ray spectroscopy
  • Developing materials capable of sequestering uranium
  • A XANES examination of the stability of the crystal structure of monozite and xenotime rare-earth phosphates after implantation by heavy ions
  • Understanding materials using X-ray spectroscopy
  • Examination of the electronic structure and structural stability of Pyrochlore- and Zirconolite-type oxides

Publications

34. Sigrist, J. A., Gaultois, M. W. and Grosvenor, A. P. (2011) An investigation of the Fe K-edge XANES spectra from
Fe1-xGaxSbO4: local versus non-local excitations. Journal of Physical Chemistry A. 115: 1908-1912.

33. Gaultois, G.W. and Grosvenor, A.P. (2011) XANES and XPS investigations of (TiO2)x(SiO2)1-x: the contribution of
final-state relaxation to shifts in absorption and binding energies. Journal of Materials Chemistry. 21: 1829-1836.

32. Biesinger, M.C., Payne, B.P., Grosvenor, A.P., Lau, L.M.W., Gerson, A. and Smart, R. St. C. (2011) Resolving surface
chemical states in XPS analysis of first row transition-metals, oxides, and hydroxides: Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, and Ni. Applied
Surface Science. 257: 2717-2730.

31. Gaultois, G.W. and Grosvenor, A.P. (2010) Coordination-induced shifts of absorption and binding energies in the
SrFe1-xZnxO3 system. Journal of Physical Chemistry C. 114: 19822-19829.

30. Ramezanipour, F., Greedan, J.E., Grosvenor, A.P., Britten, J.F., Cranswick, L.M.D., and Garlea, V.O. (2010) Intra-layer
cation ordering in a brownmillerite super-structure: synthesis, crystal and magnetic structures of Ca2FeCoO5. Chemistry of
Materials. 22: 6008-6020.

29. Gaultois, M.W., Greedan, J.E., and Grosvenor, A.P. (2010) Investigation of coordination changes in substituted
transition-metal oxides by K-edge XANES: beyond the pre-edge. Journal of Electron Spectroscopy and Related Phenomena.
In Press.

28. Sklad, A.C., Gaultois, M.W., and Grosvenor, A.P. (2010) Examination of CeFe4Sb12 upon exposure to air: is this
material appropriate for use in terrestrial, high-temperature thermoelectric devices? Journal of Alloys and Compounds. 505:
L6-L9.

27. Gaultois, M.W., Grosvenor, A.P., Blanchard, P.E., and Mar, A. (2010) Ternary arsenides Zr(SixAs1-x)As with
PbCl2-type (0 < x < 0.4) and PbFCl-type (x = 0.6) structures. Journal of Alloys and Compounds. 492: 19-25.

26. Blanchard, P.E., Slater, B.R., Cavell, R.G., Mar, A., and Grosvenor, A.P. (2010) Electronic structure of lanthanum
transition-metal oxyarsenides LaMAsO (M=Fe, Co, Ni) and LaFe1-xM'xAsO (M'=Co, Ni) by X-ray photoelectron
spectroscopy. Solid State Sciences. 12: 50-58.

25. Grosvenor, A.P., Ramezanipour, F., Derakhshan, S., Maunders, C., Botton, G.A., and Greedan, J.E. (2009) Effects of
bond-character on the electronic structure of Brownmillerite-phase oxides, Ca2B'xFe2-xO5 (B' = Al, Ga); an X-ray
absorption and electron energy loss spectroscopic study. Journal of Materials Chemistry.19: 9213-9220.

24. Blanchard, P.E.R., Grosvenor, A.P., Cavell, R.G., and Mar, A. (2009) Effects of metal substitution in transition-metal
phosphides (Ni1-xM'x)2P (M' = Cr, Fe, Co) studied by X-ray photoelectron and absorption spectroscopy. Journal of
Materials Chemistry. 19: 6015-6022.

23. Grosvenor, A.P., Cavell, R.G., and Mar, A. (2009) "Bonding and electronic structure of phosphides, arsenides, and
antimonides by X-ray photoelectron and absorption spectroscopies" in Structure and Bonding: Controlled assembly and
Modification of Inorganic Systems. Springer, Berlin. 133: 41-92.

22. Grosvenor, A.P., and Greedan, J.E. (2009) Analysis of metal site preference and electronic structure of
Brownmillerite-phase oxides (A2B'xB2-xO5; A = Ca, Sr; B'/B = Al, Mn, Fe, Co) by X-ray absorption near-edge
spectroscopy. Journal of Physical Chemistry C. 113: 11366-11372.

21. Blanchard, P.E.R., Grosvenor, A.P., Cavell, R.G., and Mar, A. (2008) X-ray photoelectron and absorption spectroscopy
of metal-rich phosphides M2P and M3P (M = Cr - Ni). Chemistry of Materials. 20: 7081-7088.

20. Zelinska, O.Ya., Tkachuk, A.V., Grosvenor, A.P., and Mar, A. (2008) Structure and physical properties of YbZn2Sb2
and YbCd2Sb2. Chemistry of Metals and Alloys. 1: 204-209.

19. Biesinger, M.C., Payne, B.P., Hart, B.R., Grosvenor, A.P., McIntyre, N.S., Lau, L.W.M., and Smart, R.St.C. (2008)
Quantitative chemical state XPS analysis of first row transition metals, oxides and hydroxides. Journal of Physics: Conference
Series. 100: 012025.

18. Grosvenor, A.P., Cavell, R.G., and Mar, A. (2008) Next-nearest neighbour contributions to the XPS binding energies and
XANES absorption energies of P and As in transition-metal arsenide phosphides MAs1-yPy having the MnP-type structure.
Journal of Solid State Chemistry. 181: 2549-2558.

17. Grosvenor, A.P., Cavell, R.G., and Mar, A. (2007) ARXPS study of the ion mobility through (HfO2)x(SiO2)1-x formed
on air-exposed HfSi0.5As1.5. Surface and Interface Analysis. 40: 490-494..

16. Grosvenor, A.P., Cavell, R.G., and Mar, A. (2007) Next-nearest neighbour contribution to P 2p3/2 X-ray photoelectron
binding energy shifts of mixed transition-metal phosphides M1-xM'xP with the MnP-type structure. Journal of Solid State
Chemistry. 180: 2702-2712.

15. Grosvenor, A.P., Cavell, R.G., Mar, A., and Blyth, R.I.R. (2007) Electronic structure of Hf(Si0.5As0.5)As by X-ray
photoelectron and photoemission spectroscopy. Journal of Solid State Chemistry. 180: 2670-2681.

14. Payne, B.P., Grosvenor, A.P., Biesinger, M.C., Kobe, B.A., and McIntyre, N.S. (2007) Structure and growth of oxides
on polycrystalline nickel surfaces. Surface and Interface Analysis. 39: 582-592.

13. Grosvenor, A.P., Cavell, R.G., and Mar, A. (2006) X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy study of the skutterudites
LaFe4Sb12, CeFe4Sb12, CoSb3, and CoP3. Physical Review B. 74: 125102.

12. Grosvenor, A.P., Cavell, R.G., and Mar, A. (2006) X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy study of rare-earth filled
skutterdites LaFe4P12 and CeFe4P12. Chemistry of Materials. 18: 1650-1657.

11. Grosvenor, A.P., Biesinger, M.C., Smart, R.St.-C., and McIntyre, N.S. (2006) New interpretations of XPS spectra of
nickel metal and oxides. Surface Science. 600: 1771-1779.

10. Grosvenor, A.P., Wik, S.D., Cavell, R.G., and Mar, A. (2005) An examination of the bonding in binary transition-metal
monophoshides MP (M = Cr, Mn, Fe, Co) by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Inorganic Chemistry. 44: 8988-8998.

9. McIntyre, N.S., Nie, H.-Y., Grosvenor, A.P., Davidson, R.D., and Briggs, D. (2005) XPS studies of
octadecylphosphonic acid (OPA) monolayer interactions with some metal and mineral surfaces. Surface and Interface
Analysis. 37: 749-754.

8. Grosvenor, A.P., Martin, R.R.H., Giuliacci, M., and Biesinger, M.C. (2005) Evaluation of multiple analytical techniques in
the study of leaching from brass fixtures. Canadian Journal of Analytical Sciences and Spectroscopy. 50: 97-107.

7. Grosvenor, A.P., Francis, J.T., Kobe, B.A., and McIntyre, N.S. (2005) ToF-SIMS studies of the oxidation of Fe by D2O
vapour: a comparison to XPS. Surface and Interface Analysis. 37: 495-498.

6. Grosvenor, A.P., Kobe, B.A., and McIntyre, N.S. (2005) Activation energies for the oxidation of iron by oxygen gas and
water vapour. Surface Science. 574: 317-321.

5. Grosvenor, A.P., Kobe, B.A., and McIntyre, N.S. (2004) Studies of the oxidation of iron by air after being exposed to
water vapour using angle resolved X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and QUASES. Surface and Interface Analysis. 36:
1637-1641.

4. Grosvenor, A.P., Kobe, B.A., Biesinger, M.C., and McIntyre, N.S. (2004) Investigation of multiplet splitting of Fe 2p XPS
spectra and bonding in iron compounds. Surface and Interface Analysis. 36: 1564-1574.

3. Grosvenor, A.P., Kobe, B.A., and McIntyre, N.S. (2004) Studies of the oxidation of iron by water vapour using X-ray
photoelectron spectroscopy and QUASES. Surface Science. 572: 217-227.

2. Grosvenor, A.P., Kobe, B.A., and McIntyre, N.S. (2004) Examination of the oxidation of iron by oxygen using X-ray
photoelectron spectroscopy and QUASES. Surface Science. 565: 151-162.

1. Grosvenor, A.P., Kobe, B.A., McIntyre, N.S., Tougaard, S., and Lennard, W.N. (2004) The use of QUASES/XPS
measurements to determine the oxide composition and thickness on an iron substrate. Surface and Interface Analysis. 36:
632-639.

Teaching & Supervision

Along with supervising undergraduate and graduate students performing research in solid-state chemistry, I am also involved in teaching both undergraduate and graduate level courses in Chemistry.

Previously taught courses:

Chemistry 112 (undergraduate):  General Chemistry

Chemistry 801 (graduate):  Materials Chemistry

Research

Materials Chemistry Solid-state Inorganic Chemistry Surface Science X-ray Spectroscopy

My research focuses on studying how structural and compositional changes affect the electronic structure of rare-earth (and transition-metal) oxides, silicates, and pnictides using X-ray spectroscopy. In particular, I am interested in developing materials capable of sequestering uranium. In my group, various materials are synthesized and their electronic structure and surface reactivity to different oxidizing environments are investigated by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and X-ray absorption spectroscopy, using the Canadian Light Source (CLS) and the Advanced Photon Source (APS). Please feel free to contact me if you have questions about my research or available graduate and undergraduate student positions.

Education & Training

B. Sc. (Honours): University of Western Ontario, 2003
M. Sc.: University of Western Ontario, 2005 (Supervisor: Dr. N. S. McIntyre)
Ph. D.: University of Alberta, 2008 (Supervisors: Dr. A Mar and Dr. R. G. Cavell)