Category Archives: Organic Chemistry

Organic Chemistry

DIRECTORATE OF INFORMATION & PUBLIC RELATIONS … – DIRECTORATE OF INFORMATION & PUBLIC RELATIONS

Prof. Dibakar Chandra Deka assumes the charge as Vice Chancellor of Mizoram University

30/2023-2024

Aizawl, the 1st May 2023: Prof. Dibakar Chandra Deka officially joined his office as the new Vice Chancellor of Mizoram University on 1st May, 2023. The charge was handed over by the acting Vice Chancellor Prof. Pravakar Rath at the Vice Chancellors office chamber.

To mark the occasion, a welcome programme was organized at MZU Auditorium. The programme was presided by the Finance Officer and Registrar in-charge, Prof. Vanlalchhawna who gave a brief bio-data of the new vice chancellor.

The outgoing acting Vice Chancellor Prof. Pravakar Rath welcomed the new vice chancellor on behalf of all the staff and faculty of Mizoram University. He remarked that his 5 and a half months as Vice Chancellor of Mizoram University was one of the best learning experiences he has had and hope that Prof. Dekas 5 year tenure will bring a change in the right direction.

Prof. Dibakar Chandra Deka, the fifth Vice Chancellor of Mizoram University in his address thanked all the MZU teaching and non-teaching staff for the welcome. He conveyed that with cooperation and the drive to always look forward and develop, the university will surely reach new heights. He also mentioned that the first short term plan for Mizoram University is to achieve A++ grade in the upcoming NAAC assessment. Mizoram University despite its young age is one of the fastest developing universities in the country and the skys the only limit, he added.

The programme concluded with a self introduction from the participants including deans, head of departments, teaching and non-teaching staff and students council representatives.

PROF. DIBAKAR CHANDRA DEKA

Prof. Dibakar Chandra Deka attained his B.Sc (Hons) Degree from Cotton College, M.Sc from Gauhati Univeristy, M.Tech & Ph.D from IIT Kharagpur, Post- Doctoral Diploma (DTTT) from Tokyo Institute of Technology, Japan under UNESCO Research Fellow (1989-1990) and D.Sc from Gauhati University. He is credited to be the first D.Sc in Chemistry from Gauhati University.

He was a Commonwealth Visiting Fellow in the University of Manchester, UK for one year during October 1997 to September 1998. He is also a member of The Research Board of Advisors, the American Biographical Institute, USA. He was elected President of All India Association of Chemistry Teachers for 3 years from January 2017 to December 2019.

Prof. Dibakar Chandra Deka is the senior most professor in the Department of Chemistry, Gauhati University and served the department as its Head from 2011-2014. In recognition of his services towards chemistry, he has been awarded FRSC by the Royal Society of Chemistry, London in 2016.

Prof.Deka completed and associated with several research projects funded by DST, DBT, UGC, CSIR, etc. he is credited with nearly 70 research papers published in reputed international journals. Prof. Deka has successfully supervised 32 Ph.D Scholars. He has been credited with 3 patents for his works in the field of biodiesel, banana plants, etc. his research interest include natural products, biodiesel and synthetic organic chemistry, etc.

Read the original here:

DIRECTORATE OF INFORMATION & PUBLIC RELATIONS ... - DIRECTORATE OF INFORMATION & PUBLIC RELATIONS

Organic Chemistry

Helicenes are the ‘first true organic electrocatalyst’ for carbon … – Chemistry World

Helicene electrocatalysts offer a metal-free way to convert carbon dioxide into valuable chemicals. The catalysts drive the process up to 1000 times faster than other organic compounds and represent the first example of a true organic electrocatalyst for carbon dioxide reduction, according to the researchers who developed them.

The team led by Joyanta Choudhury at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research in Bhopal, found inspiration in the way plants convert carbon dioxide into carbohydrates. Our synthetic molecules mimic the NADP/NADPH system, [in terms of] the central pyridine ring structure and function, he explains.

In photosynthesis, NADPH is a cofactor that efficiently transfers hydrides to captured carbon dioxide molecules, a key step in the formation of sugars and biomass. Over the years, organic hydrides have been used in the reduction of substrates like alkenes, imines, and carbonyl products, adds Choudhury. In this case, Choudhurys team designed a hydride donor based on a helicene structure, to create an artificial NADP analogue that drives the electrocatalytic conversion of carbon dioxide into formate ions.

These organic analogues offer several advantages, among them stability and tuneability. Because of their simpler structures, NADP analogues are also easily accessible in the lab, says Choudhury. Moreover, structural modifications [allow us] to tune their reactivity at wish, he adds.

It features [up to] 1000-fold enhancement of the existing turnover values for similar organic compounds

Joyanta Choudhury,Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Bhopal

The helicenes are prepared in a one-pot reaction from simple starting materials. Most importantly, the team has reduced the amount of helicenes used in the electrochemical conversion of carbon dioxide to around 1% which is considered a catalytic quantity. It features [up to] 1000-fold enhancement of the existing turnover values for similar organic compounds, adds Choudhury.

Its a significant improvement, and proof of a catalytic system, says Carla Casadevall, an expert in artificial photosynthesis at the University Rovira i Virgili and ICIQ in Tarragona, Spain. Apart from offering a metal-free alternative, [helicenes] regenerate electrochemically following a bio-inspired proton-coupled electron-transfer, she says. Its this process that allows the unusual boost in activity observed. The rational structural design of the helicenes improved its stability and consequently [that of] the electrochemically generated intermediates, she adds.

Although the catalytic process is metal-free, some of the demonstrations required electrodes based on hazardous elements, including mercury. Nevertheless, the authors have also proven the reaction works with simple glassy carbon electrodes, explains Casadevall. This technology is widely used in electrochemistry and had previously been successful in carbon reduction experiments.

According to Casadevall, the next challenges will be to improve the efficiency decreasing the overpotential of the electrocatalytic carbon dioxide reduction and recyclability of the system.

The high overpotential and the stability for long-term electrolysis are still issues to address, acknowledges Choudhury. Currently, the team is attempting to solve these issues by modifying the backbone of the helicene catalyst and adjusting the reaction conditions. Choudhury also notes that the team is exploring applications of helicenes in catalysis beyond electrochemistry, including a photochemical strategy for carbon dioxide reduction.

Read this article:

Helicenes are the 'first true organic electrocatalyst' for carbon ... - Chemistry World

Organic Chemistry

UM-Flint alum, Citrucel inventor, shares experience with chemistry … – University of Michigan-Flint

A University of Michigan-Flint alum known for his invention of Citrucel and being one of the top 40 most cited scientists in his field recently visited campus and gave a lecture about his love of chemistry and his discoveries in nanomedicine and nanotechnology.

Donald Tomalia, who is originally from Flushing, shared his life story with students and faculty and gave a detailed account about what led him to become a chemist.

"As long as I can remember, I've been curious about what life is, how it works and what its purpose is. Since chemistry is focused on the dynamics, behavior and composition of all matter in the universe, it seemed logical that chemistry would help me find those answers."

After graduating from high school, Tomalia set out in earnest to find those answers. He earned his bachelor's degree in chemistry from UM-Flint in 1961 and then went on to earn a master's degree in the same subject at Bucknell University the same year. After receiving his graduate degree, he began working in the research and development department at Dow Chemical Company where he invented the dietary supplement known as Citrucel in 1962. He went on to receive a PhD in physical-organic chemistry from Michigan State University in 1968 while he was still working at Dow.

Transitioning to a new role as a research fellow at Dow, Tomalia began researching how to create synthetic molecules and polymers that mimicked the growth and appearance of a tree, including its trunk, branches and leaves. This research led to his discovery of dendrimers. Today, dendrimers are found in therapeutic cancer drugs, antiviral agents that protect people from COVID-19, antiviral therapies for HIV and HPV as well as delivery of agrochemicals that enhance crop yields.

As his time at Dow ended, Tomalia launched his first startup company, Dendritech, in 1992. Dendritech, which would be acquired by Dow just six years later in 1998, supplies dendrimers for a device used to diagnose acute heart attacks in less than five minutes as well as anti-fouling paint, or specialized coating applied to ships and boats to slow growth of algae or other aquatic organisms.

His next startup, Dendritic Nanotechnologies was founded in 2001. The company, acquired by Australia's Starpharma in 2006, uses dendrimers to enhance cancer treatment drug delivery, thereby ensuring the drug reaches the right part of the body at the right time.

Tomalia's current company, NanoSynthons LLC, founded in 2010, focuses on the development, production and distribution of high-quality, well-defined carbon molecules.

Tomalia says that his discoveries of dendrimers and building his companies have been a journey.

"I use the term 'journey' as a code word for learning," he said. "I've learned so much along the way. I never thought I would have discovered something as important as dendrimers.'

Original post:

UM-Flint alum, Citrucel inventor, shares experience with chemistry ... - University of Michigan-Flint

Organic Chemistry

expert reaction to study looking at volatile organic compounds in a … – Science Media Centre

April 12, 2023

A study published in Cell Reports Physical Science looks at volatile organic compounds in a vehicle cabin environment.

Prof Oliver Jones, Professor of Chemistry, RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia, said:

This is a detailed study that seems to have been conducted thoroughly, in a real-world environment rather than a lab. The authors built a predictive model of the release of the chemicals that cause new car smell and then tested the predictions against measured concentrations.

Many of us like new car smell (myself included). This study doesnt look at health effects of these chemicals, but we know from previous research that some of these chemicals arent really good for us.

New car smell is the result of a chemical process called off-gassing. The term doesnt sound appealing, but it just means the airborne release of a chemical or chemicals as a vapour, in this case from materials such as plastics and adhesives in the cars interior. Such chemicals can include acetaldehyde, benzene, formaldehyde, hexanal, and styrene. Many of these compounds are listed as carcinogenic (cancer-causing), but then so are sunlight and alcohol. It is the dose that makes the poison just because something is present does not automatically mean its a problem; its about quantity (even water is toxic if you drink enough of it). The current paper is focused on ways to better model how much of the chemicals that cause new car smell might be released over time in a car under different conditions.

That said, new car smell is not without risks we know from previous research that for some people it can cause health problems such as dizziness, nausea, and shortness of breath. Healthwise the best new-car smell is probably no smell.

The fact that higher temperatures increase the rate of off-gassing from materials is not new but what is interesting here is that the authors use the surface temperature of the materials to predict the amount of compound that might be released over time rather than the more commonly used metric of air temperature in the cabin. This makes sense when you think about how hot the seats and the steering wheel can get on a hot summer day, especially in places like Australia. A more accurate model gives us a better idea of the likely levels of potentially harmful chemicals over time and this gives us a better idea of the risks which can only be a good thing for drivers.

Observation, prediction, and risk assessment of volatile organic compounds in a vehicle cabin environment by Haimei Wang et al. was published in Cell Reports Physical Science at 16:00 UK time on Wednesday 12 April 2023.

DOI: 10.1016/j.xcrp.2023.101375

Declared interests

Prof Oliver Jones: I have no conflicts of interest to declare.

Read the original post:

expert reaction to study looking at volatile organic compounds in a ... - Science Media Centre

Organic Chemistry

How to help students identify electrophiles and nucleophiles – Education in Chemistry

Students need to have a fluency across a range of concepts and skills to gain a secure grasp of organic chemistry. In terms of reaction mechanisms, research has shown that learners frequently have trouble identifying electrophiles and nucleophiles in reactions. Its particularly difficult for students to recognise the relationship between the pictorial depiction of reaction mechanisms and the underlying understanding of electron-deficient and electron-rich species.

Much research in this area has involved interviews with relatively small sample sizes. In a recent study, researchers evaluated nearly 20,000 written explanations of what occurs, and why, in reaction mechanisms to shed further light on students understanding of the processes involved.

Electrophiles, which are electron-deficient, are electron-seeking species.Nucleophiles, which are electron-rich, are nucleus-seeking species. The properties of a given species may be explicit, being depicted pictorially in the form of formal charges, labelled dipoles and lone pairs.

Students perform better in identifying electrophiles and nucleophiles where such explicit features are depicted, but they struggle where properties are implicit (not depicted pictorially). Species with negative charges and/or lone pairs may be easily identified as nucleophiles, while positively-charged species may be identified as electrophiles. Pi-bonds (explicitly depicted) and even some sigma bonds (eg, AlH bonds in LiAlH4), which can be thought of as shared pairs of electrons, have nucleophilic character and can therefore react with electrophiles.

In a chemical reaction, electrophiles and nucleophiles are complementary. An electrophile interacts with a nucleophile during a reaction and vice versa. In previous studies, students were more likely to correctly identify a nucleophile than an electrophile in a reaction.Since chemists need to be able to explain how and why two species interact in a reaction mechanism, its vital they can rationalise the roles of both reacting species. This then facilitates the prediction of the products for a specified reaction.

Students are often asked toreproduce a pictorial reaction mechanism in assessments, which can potentially be rote-learned, resulting in poor understanding of the underpinning theory.Instead, the researchers present a strong case forassessing theexplanation of the mechanism in terms of the interaction between nucleophile and electrophile.

Being able to explain whats happening at a molecular level is the key to understanding the processes involved in a reaction mechanism

The authors created a two-part rubric to evaluate the sophistication of students explanations about electrophiles. This complements a similar rubric they created for nucleophiles. Students had to describe the sequence of events occurring during a reaction mechanism in terms of the roles of reactants and intermediates, and explain their interaction at the molecular level.

The authors created a two-part rubric to evaluate the sophistication of students explanations about electrophiles.Students had to describe the sequence of events occurring during a reaction mechanism in terms of the roles of reactants and intermediates, and explain their interaction at the molecular level.

The researchers categorised the sophistication of student explanations as: absent, descriptive, foundational or complex. Across both electrophiles and nucleophiles, over 54% of responses were classified as descriptive, while nearly 20% were classified as absent, showing room for improvement. Around 54.5% of explanations were at the same level of sophistication for both electrophiles and nucleophiles, and where there was a difference, there was a clear pattern that the electrophile level was lower than the nucleophile level, in line with previous studies.

Being able to explain whats happening at a molecular level is the key to understanding the processes involved in a reaction mechanism. Providing a narrative to accompany the mechanism will help students correctly draw it from first principles.

Reference

Stephanie J H Frostet al,Chem. Educ. Res. Pract., 2023,24, 706-722 (DOI:10.1039/D2RP00327A)

David Read

Read more from the original source:

How to help students identify electrophiles and nucleophiles - Education in Chemistry

Organic Chemistry

[WEBINAR] Scalable Oligonucleotide Manufacture With Stirred-Bed … – Contract Pharma

Based on decades of experience in applying stirred-bed reactors for making peptides, we investigated whether thesecould be used for the manufacturing of oligonucleotides aswell. Join our webinar on scalable oligonucleotidemanufacturing with stirred-bed technology (SBT) to learn howwe can reach commercial oligonucleotides API production inmetric ton range with unbeaten process mass intensity. You willget insights into case studies, our SBT capacities for R&D tolarge scale production projects, and typical CMC activities forscale-up. Finally, we will share the distinct advantagesstirred-bed solid-phase oligonucleotide synthesis (SPOS) hasover classical fixed-bed SPOS.

Speakers:

Daniel Samson, PH.D. - Vice President, Head Oligonucleotides

Daniel brings 15 years of industry experience to the team, with an emphasis on TIDES process R&D, manufacturing and CMC development. He leads Bachems oligonucleotide unit including innovation projects, R&D and manufacturing activities. Daniel holds a PhD in organic chemistry from the University of Konstanz, and an MBA from the International Institute for Management Development (IMD), Lausanne. In previous stages of his career he was a lab head for process optimization, technology transfer, Quality by Design, and scale-up of synthetic peptide manufacturing procedures. From 2012, Daniel was a Vice President API Manufacturing and had full responsibility for all large-scale solid phase peptide and oligonucleotide syntheses, downstream operations, and CMC activities within Bachem AG.

Chris Mcgee, PH.D. - Vice President, Head Global Business Development

Chris leads the Global Business Development department at Bachem. Previously, he was Senior Director of Business Development (BD) for Bachem Americas. As Senior Director of BD, he was at the forefront of communications related to the development and manufacturing of new peptide and oligonucleotide-based chemical entities with his team of peptide experts in the field. Chris has nearly a decade of experience at Bachem and previously earned a Ph.D. in organic chemistry from the University of California, Irvine.

Click here to register >>>

Read more from the original source:

[WEBINAR] Scalable Oligonucleotide Manufacture With Stirred-Bed ... - Contract Pharma

Organic Chemistry

Maximizing the Up-Time inour Lab While Reducing Costs of … – Spectroscopy Online

UV-Vis technology is used to analyze, characterize, and quantify pharmaceutical and biological samples. Join Agilent to discuss the benefits of improving workflows in the pharmaceutical industry utilizing new UV-Vis spectrophotometer technology.

Register Free: https://www.spectroscopyonline.com/spec_w/up-time

Event Overview:

UV-Vis spectroscopy is a mature technology used to analyze, characterize, and quantify pharmaceutical and biological samples such as active pharmaceutical ingredients, DNA/RNA, and proteins for many decades. The use of UV-Vis has been limited by the workflow needed to make these measurements efficiently. The recent advances in UV-Vis spectroscopy focus on enhancing laboratory productivity, offering ease of use, and providing multiple accessories designed specifically for application needs. Pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical materials have become more sophisticated in life science research across fields (such as cancer research, drug development, vaccines, and quality control in regulated environments). The technology used for the analysis should evolve, too. This webinar will highlight the benefit of the new Agilent Cary 3500 Flexible UV-Vis spectrophotometer and its capabilities in improving workflows in the pharmaceutical industry.

Key Learning Objectives:

Who Should Attend:

Speaker:

Geethika WeragodaApplication ScientistAgilent TechnologiesAustralia Pty Ltd

Geethika Weragoda has a PhD in physical organic chemistry and photochemistry from the University of Cincinnati. Her PhD research focused on the study of reactive intermediates and their transformation using transient spectroscopy and theoretical calculations. During this time, she joined Hiroshima University in Japan as a research scholar to study laser spectroscopic techniques. After moving to Australia, she completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the CSIRO, developing photocatalytic pathways for C-H functionalization. Geethi is currently an applications scientist at Agilent Technologies.

Register Free: https://www.spectroscopyonline.com/spec_w/up-time

The rest is here:

Maximizing the Up-Time inour Lab While Reducing Costs of ... - Spectroscopy Online

Organic Chemistry

Arkansas Space Grant Consortium grant awarded to SAU Chemistry and Agriculture Departments Is a Martian greenhouse possible? – SAU

The Arkansas Space Grant Consortium board voted to fund Dr. Gija Geme, Dr. Tim Schroeder of chemistry, and Dr. Copie Moore of agriculture on a joint venture to explore the feasibility of growing crops such as soybeans, corn, lettuce, kale, and more, in a Mars soil simulant that is improved with fertilizer to add micronutrients. The team received $50,000 from NASA funding through Arkansas Space Grant Consortium in the spring of 2023.

This project aims to measure heavy metal uptake by plants using Inductively Coupled Plasma (ICP) Spectroscopy analysis. The soil on Mars is almost entirely made up of mineral matter with small amounts of water and no organic matter. NASAs Mars rover, Curiosity, showed that the mineral matter in Martian soil comes from the weathered volcanic rock of mineralogy similar to weathered basaltic soils of volcanic origin in Hawaii. Martian soil is reddish and sandy overall because it contains a significant amount of iron oxides (rust) throughout the planets surface since global dust storms move and redistribute the soil. The toxically high concentration of heavy metals in the soil will be reflected by higher concentrations of metals in plants.

Dr. Adbel Bachri, dean of the College of Science and Engineering, stated, The proposed research is very relevant to NASA plant researchers Exploration of Deep-Space Food Crops and will contribute to answering an important question: Is a Martian greenhouse possible? Bachri also noted that the Mars Exploration Program specifically aims to explore Mars as a possible destination for the survival of humankind in the future.

This unique project will involve undergraduate students from both departments as they simulate the soil of Mars, grow crops, and test for the presence of heavy metals in them. The acquisition of an ICP instrument through this grant will enhance the Natural Resources Research Center (NRRC) service to local area specialty chemical industries and boost its capability for water testing and soil chemistry.

SAU NRRC is an approximately 3,000-square-foot building and is a core facility funded jointly by Southern Arkansas University and a grant from the Department of Commerce through the Arkansas Economic Development Administration. The NRRC consists of seven separate laboratories equipped with state-of-the-art analytical instrumentation to meet the needs of industries, public agencies, and private citizens in southwest Arkansas. NRRC is also ADEQ-certified for water and soil analysis and provides chemistry consulting and research and development services via analytical methods. The NRRC currently provides waste-water testing to the cities of Magnolia, AR, and Waldo, AR. The NRRC also contracts projects from surrounding specialty chemicals industries in Southwest AR.

NRRC: https://web.saumag.edu/science/nrrc/

Original post:

Arkansas Space Grant Consortium grant awarded to SAU Chemistry and Agriculture Departments Is a Martian greenhouse possible? - SAU

Organic Chemistry

Organic Electronics Market is expected to reach US$ 1705.1 Bn by … – Market Research Blog

By the end of 2021, theorganic electronics marketgenerated US$ 96.9 billion in revenue. The organic electronics market is anticipated to grow at a CAGR of 29.9% from 2022 to 2032, reaching US$ 1,705.1 Bn.

The use of organic molecules and specific types of polymers, which have the capacity to conduct electricity, in the development of semiconductors, electricity-conducting circuits, and electronic devices is known as organic electronics.

The organic electronic market is expanding as a result of advancements in polymer and organic chemistry. The market is still in its infancy and will take some time to develop, but as it finds uses in consumer electronics and healthcare, the market will undoubtedly expand.

Get a Sample PDF of the Report @https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-114

The organic electronics market refers to the use of organic materials in the development of electronic devices. Organic materials, such as carbon-based polymers, offer several advantages over traditional inorganic materials, such as silicon, including flexibility, low cost, and ease of manufacturing.

The global organic electronics market is expected to grow significantly in the coming years, driven by the increasing demand for organic materials in various industries, including healthcare, energy, and consumer electronics. The market is also expected to benefit from the increasing focus on sustainable and environmentally friendly materials.

Organic electronics have already found applications in various devices, including organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs), organic photovoltaic (OPV) cells, organic thin-film transistors (OTFTs), and sensors. OLEDs are widely used in displays for mobile phones, televisions, and other electronic devices, while OPV cells are used for generating electricity from sunlight.

Overall, the organic electronics market is expected to continue to grow in the coming years, driven by the increasing demand for flexible, low-cost, and sustainable electronic devices.

Ask an Analyst @https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/ask-question/rep-gb-114

Competitive Landscape

Companies currently developing organic electronics are chemical companies that develop organic materials like polymers and polycarbonates, which could be developed into creating organic electronic components.

Regional Analysis

In 2021, North America had the largest market share of35.2%, and South Asia and the Pacific are estimated to have the fastest growth rate of CAGR at32.7%.

Several organic companies which are developing organic electronic components are in North America, and this will fuel the growth of organic electronics. North America also has a large healthcare and medicine industry and manufacturing industry, which will allow the market to grow.

South Asia and the Pacific are witnessing a growth in the manufacturing and implementation of solar cells and batteries for providing electricity for country-wide purposes. The consumer electronics market in this region is also huge. For this reason, South Asia and the Pacific is the fastest growing region.

Organic Electronics by Category

By Material Type:

By Vertical:

By Application:

Request Complete TOC @https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-114

About Future Market Insights, Inc.

Future Market Insights, Inc. is an ESOMAR-certified business consulting & market research firm, a member of the Greater New York Chamber of Commerce and is headquartered in Delaware, USA. A recipient of Clutch Leaders Award 2022 on account of high client score (4.9/5),we have been collaborating with global enterprises in their business transformation journey and helping them deliver on their business ambitions. 80% of the largest Forbes 1000 enterprises are our clients. We serve global clients across all leading & niche market segments across all major industries.

Contact Us:

Future Market Insights Inc.Christiana Corporate, 200 Continental Drive,Suite 401, Newark, Delaware 19713, USAT: +1-845-579-5705For Sales Enquiries:sales@futuremarketinsights.com

The rest is here:

Organic Electronics Market is expected to reach US$ 1705.1 Bn by ... - Market Research Blog

Organic Chemistry

UK chemist explores process that turns atmospheric particles yellow … – UKNow

LEXINGTON, Ky. (April 18, 2023) Researchers at the University of Kentucky are studying how the chemical reactions in the air after wildfires contribute to changes in the color of aerosol particles.

Marcelo Guzman, Ph.D., is an associate professor in the Department of Chemistry in the College and Arts and Sciences. He leads the Environmental Chemistry Laboratory.

Guzman, principal investigator, worked with graduate student Sohel Rana on the study funded by the National Science Foundation. Their findings have been published in the journal Environmental Science & Technology.

Guzman and Rana study how chemicals in atmosphere smoke react after a wildfire, human-made disaster or agriculture/industrial processes. The combustion process releases toxic chemicals called phenols that react with compounds already in the atmosphere along with water and air.

Guzmans research explores those reactions at night, which have not been as widely investigated. The process creates yellowish, toxic nitrophenols in an atmosphere impacted by pollution. The yellowish reaction products are also capable of absorbing sunlight and changing the amount of radiation that remains in the atmosphere.

No one thought about this frequent chemical process before, which should be quite common in the atmosphere, said Guzman. It was generally accepted that atmospheric nitrophenols are produced when gas phase molecules react together, but here we demonstrate that alternative processes for their formation are catalyzed at the interface of water and air.

Scientists have not considered before the possibility for such reactions to occur at the boundary with air, how they could be initiated or the mechanisms by which nitrate radicals can contribute to such oxidations.

Once in the air, phenols can directly react with nitrate radicals a compound made up of oxygen bonded to nitrogen and an important player in reactions between atmospheric components creating organic aerosols.

Previous studies were generally limited to explain the role of gaseous nitrate radical as a player that steals a hydrogen atom from a gaseous phenol, which should not be the case when water participates in wetting the surface of aerosol particles suspended in air, said Guzman.

The study also compared the reactions of nitrate radicals and ozone with the phenol pollutants. The researchers found a flow of electrons from the pollutant molecules to nitrate radicals or ozone is key in the initiation of the process.

Some other organic molecules in the atmosphere may react with nitrate radicals just like these chemicals do at the air-water interface.

When nitrate radicals attack the pollutant molecules in the atmosphere, the tiny aerosol particles can turn yellow. For example, yellowish secondary organic aerosol can also result from muconic acid, which is a common break-up product from phenols exposed to ozone in air, said Guzman.

Related studies have shown that the amount of sunlight absorbed by aerosols reveals how much so-called brown carbon, which provides the yellow color, is present in the particles.

The researchers also determined that during the chemical reactions in the atmosphere, many types of chemicals are quickly produced, which are key components of brown carbon and increase sunlight absorption.

Understanding the change in sunlight absorption by these compounds is important because it directly affects the atmospheres radiation properties, said Guzman.

You can find the full paper Oxidation of Catechols at the Air-Water Interface by Nitrate Radicals online here.

Research reported in this publication was supported by theNational Science Foundationunder Award Number1903744.The opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.

Go here to read the rest:

UK chemist explores process that turns atmospheric particles yellow ... - UKNow