Special Symposia
Aerosol Nucleation: From Clusters to Nanoparticles
Co-chairs: James Smith, Atmospheric Chemistry Division, National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, CO; Chris Hogan, Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN
Description: This is currently a time of rapid advances in research on the formation of stable molecular clusters (nucleation), the properties of such clusters, and the mechanism by which clusters grow into larger nanoparticles. New instruments can now detect particles as small as 1.5 nm in diameter and measure the composition of ambient charged and neutral clusters, and new facilities allow laboratory studies of nucleation at precursor concentrations that approximate those in the real atmosphere. Theoretical calculations are providing insights into the mechanisms of nucleation, and models that account for nucleated aerosols are increasing in sophistication. Along these lines, this session solicits contributions that focus on the precursors, formation mechanisms, and physico-chemical properties of molecular clusters formed by nucleation and the mechanisms by which clusters grow to form nanometer-sized particles. Submissions will likely focus on, but are not limited to (1) the development of new instruments for the analysis of molecular clusters and nanoparticles in laboratory and ambient environments, (2) measurements of cluster formation and growth rates in laboratory and ambient environments, (3) fundamental studies of the physical and chemical properties of molecular clusters in the gas phase, (4) theoretical and numerical predictions of the properties and growth of molecular clusters, and (5) the impacts of molecular cluster formation and nanoparticle growth on global aerosol and climate models.
Synthesis of Functional Materials Using Flames, Plasmas and Other Aerosol Methods
Co-chairs:Gerhard Kasper, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Karlsruhe, Germany; Bernd Sachweh, BASF, Ludwigshafen, Germany;Steven Girshick, Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN
Description: Functional materials are the basis for many advanced products ranging from energy storage devices, printable electronics and biomedicine to functional surface coatings, pigments and catalysts. For many future applications multiple functions have to be integrated into one basic material e.g. to maintain the well-defined properties during lifetime of a product or to minimize the specific size in which different functions can be realized.
Desired end products require increasingly complex combinations of processing steps, each of which creates one specific feature, either physical or chemical, by exploiting unique structuring possibilities either in the gas or liquid phase. Designing such finely tuned, integrated processes is a challenge that goes well beyond classical unit operations. It requires close cooperation of basic science and industrial process design expertise. The symposium wishes to foster this dialogue by highlighting the possibilities of aerosol technology as an enabling discipline for the design of advanced functional materials. Its aim is to bring together researchers involved in synthesis and surface structuring of particulate materials by aerosol methods such as flames and plasmas, atmospheric pressure CVD, photochemistry and other techniques. Continuous, gas-phase based synthesis and structuring steps are already proven to be flexible, reproducible and precise in tailoring a wide range of functional properties, with new possibilities being developed. Aerosol science has developed an in-depth understanding of the underlying kinetic mechanisms; it has an impressive array of highly sensitive on-line measurement techniques for everything from size distribution to coating thickness or surface composition; and methods are available to handle the transition from the aerosol to the liquid phase or dry coatings without loss of functionality, thereby enabling an optimal combination of processing steps with the end product in mind.
The Indoor Microbiome
Co-chairs: Jordan Peccia, Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, CT; Tiina Reponen, Deptartment of Environmental Health, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH
Description: Continually evolving molecular biology and computational methods are catalyzing the further integration of the biological sciences with aerosol science and engineering. This growing influence of biology is converging with the long-standing interest in aerosols suspended in the indoor environment and human exposure to airborne etiological agents. The purpose of this symposium is to bring together researchers interested in the biology of indoor air and the indoor environment. Expertise from engineering, molecular biology, chemistry, public health, and architecture will present new findings on the content, dynamics, and ecologies of bacteria, fungi, and viruses present in indoor air, as well as describe how potential sources (humans, outdoor air, surfaces) impact exposure to these biological particles.
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