Acetaldehyde oxide (CH3CHOO), the simplest alkyl substituted CI, was studied by velocity-map imaging (VMI). The primary aim of the study was to (i) detect photoproducts arising from UV-induced dissociation of the two conformers of CH3CHOO and (ii) unravel the distinct photodissociation dynamics of each conformer to separate their contribution to UV absorption spectrum.
The second part of the project were focussed on UV-Vis studies of larger CIs formed in the atmosphere via ozonolysis of isoprene. Ozonolysis of isoprene, one of the most abundant volatile organic compounds in the atmosphere, can produce methyl vinyl ketone oxide (MVK-oxide) and methacrolein oxide (MACR-oxide). The UV-visible spectrum of MVK-oxide was recorded and the UV-induced O-O bond fission was investigated using VMI. The results are expected to provide a sensitive method for detection of MVK-oxide that will enable further studies of its photochemistry and unimolecular and bimolecular reaction dynamics. Analogous studies were performed on MACR-oxide.
The project was carried out in the group of Prof. M.I. Lester (University of Pennsylvania). The project was multidisciplinary and included collaborations and exchange of scientific ideas and concept with synthetic chemists and collaborators within the theoretical and physical chemistry community.
A first high impact manuscript on the UV-Vis spectroscopy of MVK-oxide was published after peer-review in December 2018 (
https://doi.org/10.1063/1.5064716(se abrirá en una nueva ventana)).
Although the fellow has now moved to another institute, she is still collaborating with prof. Lester (University of Pennsylvania) to aid the interpretation of the experimental and theoretical results obtained during the project. She is also assisting in drafting the corresponding manuscripts for publication in peer-reviewed international journals.
The project was carried out in close interaction with younger group members. The fellow was the post-doctoral researcher mentoring two Ph.D. students, one Master student and one undergraduate student. For dissemination of the results, the fellow has presented the research project at events in the UK and US, reaching out to specialized audience and general public. In particular, the Marie-Curie open day took place in Bristol in September 2017. The event was aimed at informing young students and general public about various ongoing research projects at the University of Bristol. The fellow submitted a research statement describing the project in a language understandable to a broad audience. In addition, the Bristol ChemLabs project coordinates outreach activities aimed at engaging teachers and students at primary/secondary school in important themes of the current scientific research. The fellow contributed to the outreach project providing a research statement describing the project. This outreach article is available for download on the Bristol ChemLabs website.
At the University of Pennsylvania, the fellow had the change to discuss the research with perspective research students and research visitors.
Furthermore, the fellow participated to the ACS Younger Chemist Committee meeting (Temple University, Philadelphia, April 2018). The event attracted around 150 young researchers and students. The fellow was a poster judge for the event, therefore she had the opportunity to discuss cutting-edge research with several young researchers. The event included the participation of undergraduate and high school students to involve a wider audience. The fellow was also the co-author of a poster along with collaborators at Temple University for the event.
