Finishing the study of Oxidation of a bilayer of DOPC, POPC and DPPC by aqueous ozone - a chemical, kinetic and mechanistic investigation

Mineral particles in the atmosphere are a major part of the Earth’s aerosol budget. Organic films on these aerosols affect cloud formation and chemical oxidation of the film will change cloud formation and affect modern climate . Using neutron reflection to record the oxidation kinetics of a lipid bilayer on sapphire as a proxy will allow the atmospheric lifetime to be estimated (a typical aerosol lifetime is 10 days). The initial experiment RB1820245 was very successful, the system performed brilliantly. Unfortunately, analysis demonstrated a fast oxidation followed by a slow transport of material from the interface. There was no kinetic resolution for the fast oxidation and we now ask for continuation to study the oxidation with lower ozone concentrations (slower reaction). This will be the first experiment for a new joint ISIS/RHUL student and a delayed ISIS/RHUL joint NERC grant.