Phillip Sprunger

Phillip Sprunger is a Professor of Physics at Louisiana State University (LSU), affiliated with the Department of Physics & Astronomy within the College of Science. He holds a Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania (1993). His research focuses on experimental condensed matter physics, particularly investigating atomic/morphological, electronic/magnetic, and chemical/chemisorption properties of surface/thin-film/nanophase systems using advanced techniques like synchrotron-based photoemission, IR spectromicroscopy, and scanning tunneling microscopy.

Education: Ph.D., Physics, University of Pennsylvania (1993).

Research Interests:

• Intermetallic alloy thin films and surface systems (e.g., FeAl)
• Metal-on-semiconductor systems (e.g., Ag/GaAs)
• Adsorbate and biological overlayers (e.g., amino acids on SiO₂)
• Correlation of electronic/magnetic properties with atomic structure using STM/AFM/LEED

Publications emphasize interdisciplinary applications in electrochemical CO₂ reduction, nanocluster-catalyzed reactions, and surface-engineered materials for energy and catalysis. No scientific awards are explicitly listed in the provided text.

Advising and Grants: Supervised multiple graduate students (e.g., Evan Andrews, Fei Wang) and collaborated with institutions on projects like Cu nanocluster/ZnO electrodes. Research has been supported by grants from LSU and collaborative initiatives with industry partners.

Labs/Teams: Leads a research group focused on experimental condensed matter physics, leveraging state-of-the-art facilities at LSU’s Department of Physics & Astronomy, including synchrotron-based equipment and advanced microscopy setups.