News

June 30, 2021: Our research article "High resolution nanoscale chemical analysis of bitumen surface microstructures" has been published in Scientific Report. It studies how the combination of microscopy and spectroscopy solved the puzzle of the chemical composition of bitumen surface microstructures.

June 14, 2021: Our research article "Towards a chemical mechanism of the oxidation of aqueous sulfur dioxide via isoprene hydroxyl hydroperoxides (ISOPOOH)" has been published in Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics. It investigates the mechanism of oxidation of dissolved sulfur dioxide with the main low-NOx isoprene oxidation products, isoprene hydroxyl hydroperoxides (ISOPOOH). Our work shows that not only the contribution of multifunctional organic hydroperoxides to sulfate formation is important but also that the reaction mechanism and products are more complex than for hydrogen peroxide and simple organic hydroperoxides.

June 10, 2021: Our research article "Revisiting the reaction of dicarbonyls in aerosol proxy solutions containing ammonia: the case of butenedial" has been published in Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics. We studied butenedial reactions in aqueous mixtures and show that despite strong chemical similarities, e.g., with glyoxal with respect to extensive hydration of the aldehyde groups, the chemical reactivity of butenedial is quite different. This demonstrates that the carbon backbone, not just the moiety, influences the fate of dicarbonyls and their ability to produce brown carbon and this finding has important implications for structure activity relationships used to extrapolate behavior of other dicarbonyls.