Reaction Kinetics Laboratory
The Reaction Kinetics Laboratory was established in 1986 to examine the fundamental reactions that play a key role in the combustion of organic substances, specifically those organic compounds that impact human health when emitted into the atmosphere. This laboratory is equipped with laser-based instrumentation to accurately measure reaction rates of reactive radicals and atoms with organic compounds over extended ranges of temperature and pressure. Currently, two techniques have been developed and are in use.
A pulsed laser photolysis – pulsed laser induced fluorescence (PLP / PLIF) technique is currently used to generate free radicals, with probing being conducted by LIF using a frequency-doubled Nd: Yag pumped dye laser. Currently, rate coefficient measurements for reactions of hydroxyl (OH) radicals with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons are being performed over extended temperature ranges.
Using a combination of NSF and EPA STAR grant funding, a new technique has recently been developed combining pulsed laser photolysis with photoionization time-of-flight mass spectrometric detection (PLP / PI / ToFMS). This versatile and sensitive technique permits simultaneous and in situ detection of stable reaction products over a wide mass range.
PLP / PI / ToFMS System
Equipment
Major equipment in this laboratory includes the following:
- Lambda Physik Pulsed Compex 102 Excimer Laser
- Continuum YG682-20 Neodymium: YAG Laser (2w and 3w)
- Continuum TDL51 Dye Laser
- Jordan Model D-651 Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometer
- McPherson Model 629 Hollow Cathode Lamp
- Tracor Optical Multichannel Analyzer
- Spex 1702/04 0.75 M Spectrometer
- Jarrell-Ash 0.25 M Monochromator
- Stanford Research 250 Gated Integrator and Boxcar Averager (2)
- Stanford Research 255 Fast Sampler (2)
- Stanford Research 245 Computer Interface (2)
- Tektronix 3032B 300 MHz Digital Phosphor Oscilloscope
- Porter Mass Flow Controllers (4)
- High Temperature Absorption Spectrometer (HTAS)
- Xenon and low-pressure Mercury arc lamps
- LabVIEW© data acquisition software