The Environmental Chemical Sciences Program in the Chemistry Division at the National Science Foundation supports the research of Professors Regan J. Thomson and Franz M. Geiger both from Northwestern University who will focus on developing new chemical, spectroscopic, and physical measurement tools to further our understanding of the chemical composition of organic aerosol particles. Research enabling the chemical analysis of secondary organic aerosol (SOA) particles will enable subsequent understanding of parameters important in predicting cloud properties related to climate science. These properties rank among the least understood atmospheric processes in the climate system. This project will combine expertise in synthetic organic chemistry and coherent vibrational spectroscopy to do the following: 1. Synthesize pinene-, carene-, and isoprene-derived organic model compounds necessary for understanding and predicting the formation, properties, and fate of SOA particles; 2. Perform the first definitive structural confirmation of the molecular constituents that are thought to be present within and on SOA particles using coherent vibrational spectroscopy; and, 3. Benchmark the results to those obtained from SOA particles collected in Southern Finland, the central Amazon Basin, and the Harvard Environmental Chamber.
In addition to integrating the proposed research activities with meaningful involvement of students and junior investigators via the Science Engagement Institute at Northwestern University, this project will bridge important knowledge gaps that currently curtail the molecular understanding of SOA particle formation. Isotope editing of the species to be synthesized will allow for the definite assignment of vibrational spectra of terpenes and their derivatives, which is important for fundamental theoretical and experimental spectroscopic studies of these fascinating compounds. In addition, the project will make available to the scientific community chemical compounds in pure form that have not previously been synthesized and analyzed.
