Projects

PFAS Interfacial Chemistry

Recent work suggests that some “forever chemicals” degrade rapidly in droplets. We use synchotron radiation at the Advanced Light Source (ALS) to study how changing the head group, tail, and salt co-solute affect the surface activity of PFAS.

(L to R) Prof. Deal, Sean Boyce (Deal lab member), and Dr. Sorren Warkander (LBL postdoc) in front of the aerosol X-ray photoelectron spectrometer at the Advanced Light Source in Berkeley, CA.
A diagram showing six different compounds, including PF7S, PF8A, PF8N, and PF5A, each in various solutions (glycerol or salts like NaCl, CaCl2, MgCl2), connected to PF8A in NaCl at the center.
Common PFAS are being studied as a function of tail length, head group, and co-solute salt.

Multiphase Chemistry in Trapped Droplets

Many reactions in the atmosphere are “multiphase” (consisting of two or more phases including particle, liquid, gaseous, etc.). We are building the next generation of electrodynamic microdroplet traps to study this chemistry.

Oil-water Interfaces

Oil-water interfaces are an exciting area of research for their similarities to (yet possible large differences from!) air-water interfaces. The Deal group is interested in oil-water interfaces in drug delivery and petroleum applications.

Photochemistry at Interfaces

α-oxo acids are a common type of volatile organic aerosol. Understanding the differences between bulk and surface UV-photodegradation (simulated with a Langmuir-Blodgett trough) has implications for aerosols and ocean surfaces.

A blurred blue-toned keyboard, a carboxylic acid chemical structure, and a laboratory setup with a large acrylic enclosure containing scientific equipment on a workbench.