NSF Center for Aerosol Impacts on Chemistry of the Environment

在化学部化学创新中心（CCI）计划的支持下，位于圣地亚哥加州大学的NSF气溶胶对环境化学影响中心（CAICE）与其他10个机构合作，在大气气溶胶化学领域开展高度合作研究，重点是了解化学在海洋喷雾气溶胶中的作用。 海洋环境中的气溶胶颗粒在控制云的形成和寿命、大气化学成分、表面温度和降水模式以及人类和生态系统健康方面发挥着关键作用。CAICE的研究为气溶胶化学提供了新的见解，这将使气溶胶颗粒对空气质量、气候和水文循环的影响得到更有力的预测。 除了说明化学在影响从物理海洋学到海洋生物学的研究学科的环境过程中的核心作用外，CAICE还积极开发新的实验和计算工具，应用于涉及软材料，纳米材料，小型传感器开发和胶体科学的化学研究。除了他们的研究经验，参与CAICE的学生接受研究伦理，有效的科学传播和道德主义的跨学科培训，为他们提供所需的工具，以应对科学未来的重大挑战。CAICE的研究是通过一系列的教育和推广活动，包括共享：1）通过讲故事进行科学传播和外联，2）CAICE开发的CLEAR（环境和气溶胶研究中的合作学习）用于正规和非正规教育的粒子计数器，和3）与加州大学圣地亚哥分校的桦树水族馆和其他公共场所密切合作，举办公众宣传活动。CAICE的主要目标是涉及发展分子水平的洞察力发生在海洋大气中的化学过程。CAICE研究正在调查化学异质性，形态，相位和分子组成，在单个气溶胶颗粒水平上，控制海洋气溶胶的特性和反应性。为了实现这些目标，CAICE利用独特的实验性海洋-大气相互作用设施，旨在将海洋-大气系统的全部复杂性直接带入实验室，以便在受控环境中调查气溶胶形成和化学转化。这些特征实验有助于通过提炼化学复杂性和确定可用于复制复杂大气界面的分子构件来指导分子水平的调查。 为了实现这些目标，CAICE研究分为三个研究主题：1）海洋气溶胶颗粒的产生和表征：在实验室中复制海洋-大气系统的化学复杂性，2）环境界面的化学反应：气体和气溶胶转化，3）海洋气溶胶对水吸收和冰成核的分子水平影响。通过高度合作的研究，CAICE正在开发一个基本的和化学准确的海洋气溶胶化学的图片，这将使海洋气溶胶对我们的环境的影响的准确预测。这个奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并已被认为是值得通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估的支持。

With the support from the Centers for Chemical Innovation (CCI) Program in the Division of Chemistry, the NSF Center for Aerosol Impacts on Chemistry of the Environment (CAICE) at the University of California, San Diego, is partnering with 10 other institutions and conducts highly collaborative research in the field of atmospheric aerosol chemistry, with a focus on understanding the role of chemistry in sea spray aerosols. Aerosol particles in marine environments play a critical role in controlling cloud formation and lifetime, atmospheric chemical composition, surface temperature and precipitation patterns, and human and ecosystem health. CAICE research is providing new insights into aerosol chemistry which will enable more robust predictions on the impact of aerosol particles on air quality, climate, and the hydrologic cycle. In addition to illustrating the central role of chemistry in environmental processes that impacts research disciplines spanning from physical oceanography to marine biology, CAICE is actively developing new experimental and computational tools with applications in chemical research involving soft materials, nanomaterials, small sensor development, and colloidal science. Beyond their research experience, students involved in CAICE receive interdisciplinary training in research ethics, effective science communication, and entrepreneurialism, equipping them with the required tools to address future grand challenges in science. CAICE research is shared via a spectrum of educational and outreach activities, including: 1) science communication and outreach through storytelling, 2) CAICE-developed CLEAR (Collaborative Learning in Environmental and Aerosol Research) particle counters used in formal and informal education, and 3) general public outreach events in close collaboration with the UC San Diego's Birch Aquarium and other public venues.The primary objective of CAICE involves developing molecular level insight into chemical processes occurring in the marine atmosphere. CAICE studies are investigating how chemical heterogeneity, morphology, phase, and molecular composition, at the individual aerosol particle level, control the properties and reactivity of marine aerosols. To achieve these goals, CAICE utilizes a unique experimental ocean-atmosphere interaction facility designed to bring the full complexity of the ocean-atmosphere system directly into the laboratory to allow investigations into aerosol formation and chemical transformations in a controlled setting. These signature experiments serve to guide molecular level investigations through the distillation of chemical complexity and the identification of molecular building blocks that can be used to replicate the complex atmospheric interfaces. To accomplish these goals, CAICE research is divided into three research themes: 1) Production and characterization of marine aerosol particles: Replicating the chemical complexity of the ocean-atmosphere system in the laboratory, 2) Chemical reactions at environmental interfaces: Gas and aerosol transformations, 3) Molecular level impacts of marine aerosols on water uptake and ice nucleation. Through highly collaborative research, CAICE is developing a fundamental and chemically accurate picture of marine aerosol chemistry that will enable accurate predictions of the impact of marine aerosols on our environment.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.