Research

We use a variety of flow reactors to measure heterogeneous reaction rates and mechanisms using vacuum ultraviolet photoionization mass spectrometry and aerosol X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy at the Advanced Light Source.

We design and build quadrupole  traps to electrodynamically levitate droplets arrays.  These clouds of trapped droplets allow us to measure heterogeneous reactions over  long timescales (days) that more closely approximate the atmosphere.

We use high speed collisions of micron-sized droplets to initiate a chemical reaction (such as the pH jump, which turns on a fluorescent dye as shown above).  Droplet collisions enable fast mixing of reactants and allows us the possibility to observe transient intermediates produced in bimolecular condensed phase reactions.