Prof Alon Hoffman is a full professor at the Schulich faculty of Chemistry at the Technion and also holds the Joseph Szydlowsky Chair in Science. During the 2012-2016 he was Dean of the Schulich Faculty of Chemistry.
Alon completed his D.Sc. in 1987 at the Technion investigating adsorption processes on single crystal metal alloy surfaces by electron spectroscopy at the laboratory of Prof M. Folman. Following completion of his doctoral studies Alon spent a first post-doc at the laboratory of Prof J.T. Yates at Pittsburgh University investigating electron and thermal stimulated process on surfaces. Following he spent a second post doc at the laboratory of Prof S. Prawer in Melbourne where he started his research in diamond formation by CVD and electron spectroscopy of different carbon surfaces. Then in 1992 he joined the Schulich faculty of chemistry as a senior lecturer following the retirement of his doctoral supervisor, Prof M. Folman Alon become associate professor in 1997 and full professor in 2007.
Alon spent two sabbatical leaves: one at the CNRS in Paris in 2000 investigating resonance electron surface stimulated on diamond surfaces; and a second one at Melbourne University investigating chemical process on surfaces by synchrotron radiation. Also during the years Alon had several scientific collaborations with scientist in Germany, France, Italy, England, Australia, China and the US.
Since joining the Technion in 1992, Alon has established a very visible research effort in the areas of surface science and thin films with strong activities in both basic and applied research attracting funding from science foundation agencies and industry. His research has been related to different aspects associated to the chemical, physical and electronic properties of diverse carbon surfaces such as graphite, diamond and amorphous carbon. In particular he has investigated very extensively the interaction of hydrogen with single and poly crystalline diamond surfaces by high resolution electron energy loss spectroscopy. He has also investigated the different processes involved in the formation – nucleation and growth- of polycrystalline diamond films by chemical vapor deposition onto non-diamond substrates.
Alon has established two very unique laboratories at the Schulich faculty of chemistry: one laboratory equipped with various systems for diamond film growth; and a surface science laboratory with two unique ultra high vacuum systems equipped with state of the art surface analytical methods with which he can study surface phenomena at the atomic scale. His research effort spans from basic to fundamental research in surface science and thin films with more than 300 publication and two patents.
Last but not least, Alon has three daughters and one son and is a long distance runner.
Faculty:Chemistry
