Research Overview

This laboratory's research is at the intersection of analytical and physical chemistry. Our laboratory's mission is to explore significant fundamental and applied research questions on physicochemical processes involving particles (in air, aka aerosols) and organic and metal pollutants of relevance to the Earth's atmosphere and its interfaces (air-snow/ice/water/soil). We also develop novel sustainable technology (natural nanoparticles, energy-neutral, and recyclable) for air and water pollution remediation, & cutting-edge technology and methods for ultra-trace detection of gaseous and particulate matter. Our direct research contributions include the following:

• Physical and analytical chemistry.
• Climate change.
• Sustainable chemistry and technology.
• Air pollution.
• Nano-science.
• Environmental health and medicine.

Our current active research R&D themes in our laboratories are that are performed by field observation, laboratory experiments, numerical modelling and sustainable technologies (sensors and Zero-net energy for pollution remediation):

1. Development of novel four-dimensional technologies for particles and advancing physicochemical properties of airborne Nanoparticles (single and cluster particles) in the atmosphere and air/snow/water interfaces: Ultra-fast observation, Kinetics, dynamics, thermodynamics, phase partitioning and development of chemical speciation
2. Ice nucleation microphysics: Interactions of aerosol-cloud interactions
3. Urban & Arctic air pollution: Impacts on human and ecosystem health
4. Emerging contaminants: Nano/microplastics, black/brown carbon, electronic waste, rare metals, nano-metals, pharmaceutical materials, etc., in air/water/ice
5. Development of sustainable technology: Natural material, recyclable, energy neutral, and efficient, with detailed studies of life cycle analysis
6. Bioaerosols: We develop new technologies for single virus observation in dynamic and stationary modes. We also perform experiments on RNA/DNA and genomic of airborne particles, as well as those in air/water/snow

The IPCC (2013) points to the importance of aerosol-cloud processes due to their impact on the absorption and scattering of radiation, altering the Earth's climate. In contrast, the WHO (2015) considers aerosols as health hazards. It has become increasingly clear that both the climate and toxicity-health impact of nanoparticles are significantly affected by physical and chemical processes such as size, gas-particle partitioning, hygroscopicity, liquid-liquid phase separation, redox kinetics, surface tension, viscosity, molecular configuration, active sites, surface properties, and chemical composition. We have established expertise and infrastructure to perform aerosol research, including nanoparticles in air and air/snow/water surfaces, by contributing to address critical uncertainties described above and pioneering novel questions and solutions which affect climate and health challenges.

Our research is performed through the complementary field (from the Arctic to urban), laboratory and modelling research. Our state-of-the-art laboratories develop a suite of novel technologies and methods, including the four-dimensional physicochemical capability for single aerosols and an ensemble of particles. We perform kinetics, dynamics, microphysics, and surface physical chemistry using ultra-fast and sensitive detection using various high-resolution lasers, second harmonic generation, long path FTIR, FT-Raman, different mass spectrometry, microscopy, surface sciences, air pollution and aerosols analyzers. We develop techniques and perform highly-sensitive measurements of trace gaseous and particulate compounds. Complementary computational and atmospheric chemical modelling of the reaction intermediates in the atmosphere to simulate the complex physical-bio-chemical interactions. During the last decade, we have developed novel sustainable technology in air and water pollution remediation and intelligent sensors, which are efficient, energy neutral, and recyclable with no waste. Their life cycle analysis has been considered before their design and development.

We thank several funding agencies for their continuous financial or in-kind support to perform our research and train bright, highly qualified personnel. They include McGill University, NSERC (operating/discovery, Alliance, northern supplements, strategic, I2I, network, create), CFI, FRQNT (professor/researcher, new researcher, strategic, networks), National Research Council (NRC), Environment and Climate Change Canada, CSA, Fishery and Ocean, Health Canada, NanoQubec, PrimaQuebec) EU, MPI and NASA.