Chemical Kinetics in Microcompartments

Over the last 10+ years there has emerged some evidence that when a reaction vessel is reduced to the micron-sized dimensions (e.g. droplets), photochemical and bimolecular reactions speed up by many orders of magnitude. The mechanism(s) for rate acceleration in droplets remains unclear but has potential implications for understanding the chemistry of the atmosphere where cloud droplets and aerosols play important roles. A key uncertainty in the interpretation of droplet kinetics is how to properly link reaction rates measured in beaker scale containers with those occurring in micron-sized spaces. This challenge lies, in large part, in understanding the complex kinetic coupling of adsorption, desorption, and diffusion that link chemistry occurring at the surface of an aerosol or droplet with processes occurring in its interior. In this talk I will review our work combining novel single droplet and microfluidics experiments with stochastic reaction diffusion models to develop a robust understanding of reaction rates and processes in small compartments where interfaces play a prominent role.

Speaker: Kelvin Wilson, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory