Collaborative Research: Isotopologue Synthesis and Use for Elucidating Important Chemical Mechanisms of Organic Condensation Reactions in Atmospheric Particles

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This award from the Environmental Chemical Sciences Program of the Chemistry Division supports Professor Scot Martin of Harvard University and Professor Regan Thomson of Northwestern University. Their collaborative research addresses the complex roles played in the atmosphere by volatile organic molecules that are derived from plants. These molecules exchange between gases and particles in the atmosphere in ways that are poorly understood. Atmospheric particles, also known as aerosols, affect many important atmospheric processes, such as cloud formation, and the Earth's climate. The research team utilizes synthetic organic chemistry to make molecules thought to exist in the atmosphere and uses them in experiments designed to simulate atmospheric conditions. The outcome of this research may be an improved understanding of atmospheric processes, which allows for more accurate modelling of the weather and climate system. The research provides opportunities for students at both institutions as well as peer-to-peer learning. Through the "Faces of Science" YouTube series the researchers communicate science and personal stories to the general public, engaging diverse audiences. This collaboration combines expertise in synthetic organic chemistry with expertise in atmospheric science. The team is advancing the understanding of the complex chemical processes in the particle phase of secondary organic aerosol particles. The synthesis enables access to a suite of complex, non-commercially available, yet highly atmospherically-relevant molecules with isotopic labeling. In particular, pinene isotopologue probes enable detailed studies of volatile biogenic terpenes. The aerosol experiments provide detailed mechanistic information regarding the formation and growth of atmospheric organic particles, as derived by use of the isotopologue probe species under varying conditions. Competing hypotheses of the prevailing chemical mechanisms are being tested and thus elucidate mechanistic aspects of oxidation/accretion pathways and particle formation.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.