Research by graduate students Liz Pillar, Evie Zhou and assistant professor Marcelo Guzman was recently published in the Journal of Physical Chemistry A. The study entitled “Heterogeneous Oxidation of Catechol” explores the interaction of atmospheric oxidants, such as gaseous ozone and hydroxyl radical, with oxy-aromatic hydrocarbon surfaces under variable relative humidity. The environmental chemistry group found that carboxylic acids and polyhydroxylated biphenyls and terphenyls products can be generated from organic species emitted during combustion processes. The implication of this finding is that heterogeneous reactions provide a channel for the generation of secondary oxidants (hydroxyl radicals, hydroperoxyl radicals, and hydrogen peroxide) during atmospheric processes. The article contributes to the cutting edge research on environmental chemistry and aerosol processes highlighted by the journal.

Full Citation: Heterogeneous Oxidation of Catechol, Elizabeth A. Pillar, Ruixin Zhou, and Marcelo I. Guzman, J. Phys. Chem. A, 2015, 119 (41), 10349–10359. DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpca.5b07914