The Environmental Chemical Sciences Program in the Chemistry Division at the National Science Foundation supports the research of Professor Rabi A. Musah and Robert B. Cody both at the State University of New York at Albany who will direct a project to investigate volatile organosulfur compounds (VOSCs) that are emitted by representative plants to the environment using direct analysis in real time mass spectrometry (DART-MS). In order to determine the possible fates of these compounds in the atmosphere, the gas-phase reactions of identified compounds when exposed to atmospherically relevant radicals, such as ozone, hydroxyl and NOx species, will be investigated. In collaboration with industrial partner JEOL USA Inc., a platform that interfaces with the JEOL AccuTOF Direct Analysis in Real Time (DART®) mass spectrometer will be developed to permit high resolution DART-MS analysis of VOSCs under ambient conditions in air. The biogeochemistry of VOSCs has been the focus of significant attention because of increased awareness of their contribution to atmospheric sulfur, and hence their potential to influence the climate globally.
This research will facilitate the study of not only the fates of plant emitted VOSCs, but also the extent to which they may ultimately contribute to the overall atmospheric sulfur burden, and influence pollution, acid rain, and cloud formation, among other phenomena. The developed analytical tools would be commercially available and find broad utility for analyses relevant to a range of other fields including chemistry, biochemistry, forensics chemistry, food sciences, agriculture, and medicine. The integration of teaching and research between the postdoctoral trainee and graduate student on the one hand, and the JEOL scientists on the other, unimpeded by departmental or administrative boundaries, will cultivate a cultural shift in research-based instruction. The trainees will gain a breadth of skills, strengths, and understanding to work in an interdisciplinary team environment while being grounded with depth of knowledge in a major field. The training will provide scientific preparation for the student and the postdoctoral associate whether they pursue academic or non-academic careers and it will provide a breeding ground for exploration and application of novel experimental approaches to resolve problems.
