Research
We use a wide range of techniques to answer questions in atmospheric environmental chemistry. We focus on characterizing complex organic mixtures in both aerosol particles and surface films. Our research is centered in the areas of atmospheric chemistry, climate change, and indoor air quality. Please see below for details on individual projects.
I am looking for undergraduate and masters students to join me in lab. If you are interested in any of these topics, please send an email!
Current Projects
Aerosol photo-bleaching
We use a Xenon arc lamp to probe the effects of UV radiation on the light absorption properties and chemical composition of organic aerosol particles. Kinetics of photo-bleaching and chemical products are characterized using UV/Vis, IR, and mass spectrometry.
Funded by NSF CAREER
Indoor surfaces
Indoor surfaces can play a big role in indoor air quaility and the organic films that form on those surfaces need to be better characterized! We are developing an Indoor Surface Extractor to sample indoor surface films. This project is working with a large group of other indoor and atmospheric chemists: Indoor Chem.
Funded by Sloan Foundation
Urban aerosol
In collaboration with the Ault group at U. Michigan Chemistry, we will be collecting and characterizing size resolved organic aerosol samples using offline AMS and UHR-MS in NYC next summer!
Future NY field campaign (AEROMMA) funded by NOAA
Biomass burning
In collaboration with the Cappa group at UC Davis and Aerodyne Inc., we will be investitgating the compostion and aging of wildfire smoke in the air and after it deposits on city surfaces. Samples will be created and aged in the lab and this project will be starting Fall 2023!
Funded by NOAA
Outdoor surfaces (dew, urban grime, etc.)
We are collecting organic compounds that deposit on grass, leaves, etc. The chemical composition and aging behavior of organic molecules in these samples are being characterized using UHR-MS, offline AMS, and TD-GC/MS.
Funded by NSF CAREER
Size resolved indoor aerosol particles
We will be using a size resolved aerosol collector to investigate chemical composition of indoor aerosol particles. Size resolution has important ties to health effects and understanding the chemical composition as a function of size will help us understand health effects trends and exposure.
Organic aerosol composition
We are developing methods to characterize the organic components in secondary organic aerosol using mass spectrometry coupled to infrared multiphoton dissocation (IRMPD) at the FELIX laboratory in the Netherlands.
This technique provides mass spectra, MS/MS fragments, and IR action spectra for analytes produced during the oxidation of VOCs in the atmosphere.
