
NSF Org: |
CHE Division Of Chemistry |
Recipient: |
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Initial Amendment Date: | August 12, 2013 |
Latest Amendment Date: | September 6, 2014 |
Award Number: | 1337080 |
Award Instrument: | Standard Grant |
Program Manager: |
Carlos Murillo
CHE Division Of Chemistry MPS Directorate for Mathematical and Physical Sciences |
Start Date: | September 1, 2013 |
End Date: | August 31, 2016 (Estimated) |
Total Intended Award Amount: | $278,658.00 |
Total Awarded Amount to Date: | $278,658.00 |
Funds Obligated to Date: |
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History of Investigator: |
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Recipient Sponsored Research Office: |
160 ALDRICH HALL IRVINE CA US 92697-0001 (949)824-7295 |
Sponsor Congressional District: |
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Primary Place of Performance: |
Rowland Hall Irvine CA US 92697-2025 |
Primary Place of
Performance Congressional District: |
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Unique Entity Identifier (UEI): |
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Parent UEI: |
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NSF Program(s): | Major Research Instrumentation |
Primary Program Source: |
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Program Reference Code(s): |
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Program Element Code(s): |
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Award Agency Code: | 4900 |
Fund Agency Code: | 4900 |
Assistance Listing Number(s): | 47.049 |
ABSTRACT
With this award from the Chemistry Major Research Instrumentation Program, Professor Barbara Finlayson-Pitts from University of California Irvine and colleagues Michael Kleinman, Sergey Nizkorodov, Donald Blake and Eric Saltzman will acquire an atmospheric pressure QTrap mass spectrometer that is capable of highly sensitive and specific measurements of both gases and particles. The instrument is capable of carrying out tandem experiments involving molecular analysis of secondary organic aerosols (SOA) using nano-desorption electrospray ionization (nano-DESI), extractive electrospray ionization (EESI), atmospheric solids analysis probe (ASAP) ionization and atmospheric pressure ionization (API). The proposal is aimed at enhancing research and education at all levels, especially in areas such as (a) determination of the products of isoprene photooxidation and the effects of relative humidity on the aerosol composition; (b) real-time measurements of the composition of SOA particles formed in complex volatile organic compounds (VOCs)-nitrogen dioxide-ozone mixtures; (c) elucidation of the efficiency of aerosol mass spectrometry (AMS) for measurements of organic nitrates by comparison to Fourier Transform infrared (FTIR) measurements; (d) measurement of VOCs in tobacco smoke; (e) measurement of nitrogen-containing VOCs from isoprene photooxidation; (f) determination of products of photochemical oxidations of aqueous phase acids and aldehydes; (g) real-time measurement of gaseous precursors and products in an aerosol flow tube during new particle formation and growth; (h) real-time measurement of gaseous p-cymene from the reaction of alpha-pinene with ozone, OH, and nitrate; (i) measurement of oxygen/carbon ratios of SOA and comparison to results from high-resolution electrospray ionization mass spectrometry; (i) real-time measurements of acetone and other oxygenated organic species during a cruise that is part of a North Atlantic gas flux study as well as other research activities.
Mass Spectrometry (MS) is one of the key analytical methods used to identify and characterize small quantities of chemical species embedded in complex matrices. In a typical experiment, the components flow into a mass spectrometer where they are ionized into the parent ion and its fragment ions and their masses are measured. This highly sensitive technique allows detection and determination of the structure of molecules in a complex mixture. An instrument with tandem capability provides additional structural identification power through further fragmentation of ions produced in the spectrometer. The instrumentation provided by this award will provide faculty and students in several departments the opportunity to pursue research projects using modern instrumentation not heretofore available at the institution. The research will impact not only the field of Chemistry but also provide important knowledge of atmospheric phenomena. The instrument will also be used in several laboratory courses to train significant numbers of students in the use of this important analytical technique.
PUBLICATIONS PRODUCED AS A RESULT OF THIS RESEARCH
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PROJECT OUTCOMES REPORT
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This Project Outcomes Report for the General Public is displayed verbatim as submitted by the Principal Investigator (PI) for this award. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this Report are those of the PI and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation; NSF has not approved or endorsed its content.
The goal of the project was to probe the chemistry of a number of different reaction systems that are relevant to chemistry in the lower atmosphere using mass spectrometry, with emphasis on reactions that form particles in air. This is important because particles reduce visibility, lead to significant health impacts that include enhanced mortality, and are intimately involved in climate change. In many instances, airborne particles are not directly emitted, but rather are formed by chemical reactions of gases in air. The chemical composition of particles formed in this manner is very complex, and having sophisticated techniques such as mass spectrometry to probe the molecular composition is critical. Laboratory studies are used to mimic such reactions that lead to particle formation, but under well-controlled conditions where application of mass spectrometry can be particularly useful.
This project involved the acquisition of a new atmospheric pressure ionization tandem quadrupole mass spectrometer with multiple ambient ionization sources and its application to measure both particles and gases in many different atmospherically relevant laboratory experiments. These systems include products of reactions of neonicotinoid pesticides in air; secondary organic aerosol (SOA) particles formed from oxidation of biogenically emitted organics such as a-pinene, a-cedrene and limonene, and anthropogenic precursors such as toluene found in gasoline; and SOA involving reactions of ammonia and amines that generate “brown carbon” in airborne particles. “Brown carbon” has only recently been recognized as contributing to light absorption by particles in the visible light region, resulting in a yellowish-brown haze. While the chemistry and reaction products that cause this light absorption are not known, significant progress in identifying them as nitrogen-containing compounds has been made using this new instrument. Finally, the instrument has been used in studies of new particle formation from methanesulfonic acid reactions in air; this acid is formed when organosulfur compounds generated by a number of biological processes and in some agricultural activities oxidize in air. The organosulfur compounds are also used as odorants (“rotten egg” odor) in natural gas so that leakage from natural gas pipelines and facilities is another source. We showed that this particle source will become relatively more important as the combustion of sulfur-containing fossil fuels declines in the future.
This project has significantly advanced our understanding of a number of important reactions that occur in air, a necessary prerequisite for determining optimal air pollution control strategies to address impacts on human health and climate. It has also provided training in state-of-the-art mass spectrometry to a number of graduate students, undergraduates and postdoctoral fellows, the majority of whom belong to underrepresented groups in science, particularly women. It has also been used to demonstrate the power of this analytical technique to visitors, from community groups to K-12 students and teachers.
Last Modified: 10/12/2016
Modified by: Barbara J Finlayson-Pitts
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