PhD Proposal: Amir Babaei Gharehbagh
Amir Babaei Gharehbagh, PhD Student
Advisor:
Dr. Chris Hennigan
TITLE:
Experimental determination of gas–aqueous partitioning and salting effects for organic compounds across molecular complexity
ABSTRACT:
Gas–aqueous partitioning plays a central role in determining the atmospheric fate of organic compounds, yet its behavior under high ionic strength conditions remains poorly understood. Most available partitioning data and models are based on pure water systems and do not account for the complex chemical environment of atmospheric aerosol liquid water, where dissolved salts can reach extremely high concentrations. This limitation introduces uncertainty in predicting the transport, transformation, and deposition of both common atmospheric organics and emerging contaminants such as PFAS.
In this seminar, an experimental framework is presented to quantify the effects of salt composition, ionic strength, and pH on gas–aqueous partitioning. Using controlled laboratory systems, ion-specific salting effects are demonstrated for small organic acids, while air–water partitioning measurements for PFAS reveal temperature dependence and significant discrepancies with current predictive models. The implications of ionization and pH corrections are also examined, highlighting limitations in existing thermodynamic approaches.
This work aims to provide new experimental constraints and improve mechanistic understanding of multiphase partitioning in atmospherically relevant systems. By bridging gaps between measurements and models, it contributes toward more accurate prediction of the environmental fate of organic compounds and supports the development of next-generation atmospheric chemistry frameworks.
Location: Technology Research Center (TRC) 206 & Google Meet
Agenda
- 10:55 am: Meeting room will open
- 11:00 am: 45-min presentation will be open to the public with Q&A.
- Followed by a closed session with the committee and PhD Student.
Google Meet Info:
Video call link: https://meet.google.com/sdb-xkgk-soi
Or dial: (US) +1 502-547-4740 PIN: 434 024 658#
More phone numbers: https://tel.meet/sdb-xkgk-soi?pin=8452776442254