Organonitrate kinetic mechanisms

Project Title

Organonitrate kinetic mechanisms 

Faculty Mentor(s)

Project Description

Project Description: 

My research examines the chemical changes that the organonitrate 1-nitrato-2-butanone (1N2B) undergoes within atmospheric aerosol particles. Modeling potential chemical conditions found within aerosol particles and introducing 1N2B into these chemical conditions allows me to use nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy to identify what products 1N2B forms and how fast they form. I then use the NMR data to calculate the lifetimes of reactions. Quantification of how fast these reactions happen is especially important in applying our model building, laboratory based approach to real world aerosol particles because in order to be applicable to aerosol particles in the atmosphere, the reactions that we observe must take place within the average length of time during which aerosol particles are in the atmosphere.   
 

Why is your research important?

Air pollution is a public health crisis estimated to cause millions of deaths per year, and aerosol particles constitute a major component of air pollution. An understanding of what chemicals are shuttled around inside of aerosol particles is necessary before regulations which effectively protect humans and the environment from aerosol pollution can be implemented. This is why the study of kinetics within aerosol particles is important.
 

What does the process of doing your research look like?

The main experimental process of this research consists of preparing aqueous solutions which model aerosol particle chemical conditions, loading those samples into NMR tubes, and running NMR scans on them. Data analysis generally looks like interpreting the resulting NMR spectra and using it to calculate the lifetime of the observed reaction. This research also occasionally requires synthesizing the organonitrates that we study, as they cannot be purchased commercially.  

 

What knowledge has your research contributed to your field?

This research has helped increase our understanding of what chemical reactions occur inside of aerosol particles.

 

In what ways have you showcased your research thus far?

I have showcased this research through a presentation at the STRONG end of Winter Term research showcase.
 

How did you get involved in research? What drove you to seek out research experiences in college?

I would not have had the confidence to seek out these research opportunities, especially after only completing 1 semester at Oberlin, if not for the STRONG program, which gave me not only access to these research opportunities, but also the tools and skills I needed to be successful in them. This experience has given me the confidence that I need to independently seek out research opportunities in the future.
 

What is your favorite aspect of the research process?

My favorite aspect of the research process is all of the trial and error and real time problem solving that goes into it. When you're doing research, you're often doing things that have never been done before, which means you don't have a detailed procedure to follow. The process of  applying knowledge in order to figure out how to do new things is extremely intellectually gratifying to me, as it makes abstract concepts come alive in exciting ways.
 

How has working with your mentor impacted the development of your research project? How has it impacted you as a researcher?

Throughout the research process, working with my mentor has consistently helped me see the bigger picture in terms of the overarching questions the research is posing and how the next steps of the project are guided by both results of previous experiments and those overarching questions. It's easy to get so absorbed in the specific details of the particular experiment you are focusing on that you lose track of why you're doing the experiment in the first place. But learning from my mentor has helped me be simultaneously aware of the specific details and the bigger picture.
 

How has the research you’ve conducted contributed to your professional or academic development?  

Knowing how to engage well with a mentor in a research setting is an important skill to develop, yet it can seem very daunting. My research has challenged me to actively seek to learn from my mentor by asking for help and being curious, even when that's scary. The research process has forced me to practice this sort of engagement with mentors, which is a skill that I will definitely need to use later as I start charting a professional path.
 

What advice would you give to a younger student wanting to get involved in research in your field?

When starting out in research, eagerness to learn and willingness to make and learn from mistakes are some of the most important qualities. It will probably take some time to become comfortable in the lab environment and confident in what you are doing and why you are doing it, and that's okay.