Graduate Research Traineeship Program: Chemistry of the Environment

9256458西尔贝麻省理工学院化学系获得化学教育计划颁发的为期三年的研究生研究培训资助，以发展环境化学的培训计划。一个由9名物理、无机和化学毒理学教授组成的小组将加入一项关于自然环境中化学物种的产生、扩散和移除，以及它们与生物系统的相互作用的协调研究。要讨论的专题包括：平流层中的化学过程；对大气中微量污染物的探测；燃烧过程中发现的碳氢自由基光谱；燃料电池和催化转化器用改进材料的合成；甲烷营养细菌的生化研究；环境致癌物质的分子生物学；污染物在大气中扩散的理论分析。作为该计划的一部分，将提供新的课堂主题和关于化学、技术和环境政策之间关系的研讨会。%涉及大气中微量气体的化学过程，如催化臭氧破坏、甲烷和二氧化碳导致的全球变暖以及氮氧化物和硫氧化物造成的对流层污染，现在被广泛认为是严重的环境威胁。麻省理工学院研究生培训计划的主要重点将是大气分子和自由基的动力学和光谱。这一努力的目标是培养新一代化学家，使他们能够更好地理解和处理这些重要的环境问题。***

9256458 Silbey The MIT Chemistry Department has been awarded a three year Graduate Research Traineeship Grant by the Chemistry Education Program to develop a traineeship program in Chemistry of the Environment. A group of 9 faculty in physical, inorganic, and chemical toxicology, will join in a coordinated study of the production, dispersion, and removal of chemical species in the natural environment, and their interactions with biological systems. Among the topics to be addressed are chemical processes in the stratosphere; detection of trace atomospheric pollutants; spectroscopy of hydrocarbon free radicals found in combustion; synthesis of improved materials for fuel cells and catalytic converters; biochemical studies of methanotrophic bacteria; molecular biology of environmental carcinogens; and theoretical analyses of pollutant diffusion in the atmosphere. New classroom subjects and seminars on the relations between chemistry, technology, and environmental policy will be offered as part of the program. %%% Chemical processes involving trace gases in the atmosphere, such as catalytic ozone destruction, gobal warming due to methane and carbon dioxide, and tropospheric pollution by nitrogen and sulfur oxides are now widely recognized as critical environmental threats. A principal focus of the MIT graduate traineeship program will be on the kinetics and spectroscopy of atmospheric molecules and radicals. The goal of this effort is to train a new generation of chemists better equipped to understand and deal with these important environmental issues. ***