Federal Funding

Research in the Aerosol Photochemistry group has been supported primarily by grants from the US National Science Foundation, National Institute of Health, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Energy and Environmental Protection Agency. They included both single-PI grants awarded to Prof. Nizkorodov and multi-PI grants awarded to groups of researchers.

In addition, graduate students in the group have been supported by external fellowships. This included NSF Graduate Research Fellowship awarded to Maggie Walser, Amanda MacMillan, Dian Romonosky, Paige Aiona, Kurtis Malecha, Julia Montoya-Aguilera, Vahe Baboomian and Lena Gerritz; DOE Graduate Research Environmental Fellowship (GREF) awarded to Adam Bateman; Ford Predoctoral Fellowship awarded to Paige Aiona; and GAANN fellowships awarded to multiple group members.

• NSF AGS-2334731, Effect of Condensed-Phase Photochemistry on Absorption Coefficients and Phase State of Atmospheric Organic Aerosol Particles, 2/15/2024 - 1/31/2027, Prof. Sergey Nizkorodov (PI).
• NSF CHE-2203419, Reactive Oxygen Species in Biomass Burning Particles: Dependence on Chemical Composition and Photochemical Aging, 7/1/2022 - 6/31/2025, Prof. Manabu Shiraiwa (PI), Prof. Sergey Nizkorodov (co-PI).
• NOAA NA22OAR4310196, Composition and Transformations of Organic Aerosol Emitted from Facility Simulated Wildland-Urban Interface Fires, 09/01/2022 - 08/31/25, Dr. Alexander Laskin (co-PI at Purdue University) and Dr. Sergey Nizkorodov (PI at UCI).
• NSF CHE-1920242, MRI: Acquisition of a High-Resolution Mass Spectrometer for Atmospheric Ecometabolomics Research, 8/1/2019 - 7/31/2022, Prof. James Smith (PI), Profs. Celia Faiola, Barbara Finlayson-Pitts, Alex Guenther, and Sergey Nizkorodov (co-PIs).
• NSF AGS-1853639, Condensed-Phase Organic Photochemistry in Aerosol Particles and Aerosol Liquid Water, 4/15/2019 - 3/31/2022, Prof. Sergey Nizkorodov (PI).
• NSF AGS-1740640, Collaborative Research: ICARUS - Index of Chamber Atmospheric Research in the United States, Prof. Tran Nguyen (PI of the overall collaborative proposal), Prof. Sergey Nizkorodov (PI of the UCI portion)
• DOE DE-SC0018349, Office of Biological & Environmental Research (BER), Atmospheric Science Program (ASR), Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science, Impacts of phase state and water content on secondary organic aerosol formation and partitioning, 09/15/2017 - 09/14/2020, Prof. Manabu Shiraiwa (PI); Profs. James Smith, Annmarie Carlton, and Sergey Nizkorodov (co-PIs)
• NIH 1R01ES027232-01, Vapor and particulate phase smoke components and cardiovascular dysfunction, 09/01/2016 - 08/31/2019, Prof. Michael Kleinman (PI), co-investigators include Norbert Staimer, Sergey Nizkorodov, James Smith.
• NOAA NA16OAR4310102, Studies of Atmospheric Brown Carbon Chemistry in Support of the FIREX Campaign, 07/01/2016 - 06/30/19, Dr. Alexander Laskin (co-PI at PNNL), Dr. Julia Laskin (co-PI at PNNL) and Dr. Sergey Nizkorodov (PI at UCI).
• EPA 835881, Effects of Ammonia on Secondary Organic Aerosol Formation in a Changing Climate, 01/01/2016 - 12/31/2018, Prof. Donald Dabdub (PI), Prof. Sergey Nizkorodov (co-PI).
• EPA 835425, Impacts of Household Sources on Outdoor Pollution at Village and Regional Scales in India, 04/01/2014 - 03/31/2017, Prof. Kirk Smith, UC Berkeley (PI), our group members participating as co-investigators.
• South Coast Air Quality Management District, Development of a test center to determine SAE J2719 (and CCR) listed trace contaminants in hydrogen fuel from hydrogen vehicle fueling stations located within the South Coast Air Basin, 08/13/2014 – 04/12/2015, Prof. Sergey Nizkorodov (PI), co-investigators: Dr. Hyun Ji (Julie) Lee, Prof. Barbara Finlayson-Pitts, Prof. Donald Blake.
• NSF CHE-1337080, MRI: Acquisition of an Atmospheric Pressure Ionization Mass Spectrometer for Measurements of Trace Gases and Secondary Organic Aerosol Components in Air, 09/01/2013 - 08/31/2016, Prof. Finlayson-Pitts (PI), Prof. Nizkorodov (co-PI), Prof. Donald Blake (co-PI), Michael Kleinman (co-PI), Eric Saltzman (co-PI)
• NOAA NA13OAR4310062, Combined Laboratory and Field Characterization of Nitrogen-Containing Light-Absorbing Organic Compounds, 08/01/2013 - 07/31/16, Dr. Alexander Laskin (co-PI at PNNL), Dr. Julia Laskin (co-PI at PNNL) and Dr. Sergey Nizkorodov (PI at UCI).
• NIH 1R21CA164540-01A1, Differential Redox & Electrophilic Toxicities of Modified Tobacco Products, 4/1/2013 - 3/31/2015, Dr. Norbert Staimer (PI), co-investigators include Profs. Ralph Delfino, Rufus Edwards, Michael Kleinman, Sergey Nizkorodov, Nosratola Vaziri.
• NSF AGS-1227579, Photochemistry in Organic Aerosols, 8/15/2012 - 8/31/2015, Prof. Sergey Nizkorodov (PI).
• NSF MRI-0923323, MRI: Acquisition of Two High-Resolution Mass Spectrometers for Collaborative Research on Energy Use, Air Quality and Health, 9/01/2009 - 6/30/2010, Prof. Sergey Nizkorodov (PI), Prof. Finlayson-Pitts (co-PI), Prof. Donald Blake (co-PI).
• NSF CHE-0909227, A Comprehensive Approach to Understanding Chemistry at Interfaces and Atmospheric Implications , 9/01/2009 - 8/30/2014, Prof. Barbara Finlayson-Pitts (PI), co-investigators include Profs. Donald Dabdub, Filipp Furche, John Hemminger, Benny Gerber, Sergey Nizkorodov, and Douglas Tobias.
• NSF ATM-0831518, Photochemistry of Secondary Organic Aerosol Particles, 9/01/2008 - 8/31/2012, Prof. Sergey Nizkorodov (PI).
• NSF ATM-0509248, Photochemistry at Organic Particle-Air Interfaces, 7/01/2005 - 6/30/2008, Prof. Sergey Nizkorodov (PI).
• NSF-EMSI CHE-0431312, Reactions of Atmospheric Relevance at the Air-Water Interface: Developing a Molecular Level Understanding and Application to the Troposphere on Local to Regional Scales, 9/01/2004 - 8/30/2009, Prof. Barbara Finlayson-Pitts (PI), co-investigators include Profs. Donald Dabdub, John Hemminger, Benny Gerber, Sergey Nizkorodov, and Douglas Tobias.

Private Foundations

Several foundations have generously provided support for the Aerosol Photochemistry Group research projects over the years.

• 2007 Camille Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar Award from the Camille and Henry Dreyfus Foundation, Laboratory Studies of Chemical Processes Taking Place in Atmospheric Aerosol Particles, 7/01/2007 - 6/30/2012, awarded to Prof. Sergey Nizkorodov to support his research and education activities.
• Bavaria California Technology Center (BaCaTeC), New Analytical Tools for Characterization of Precursors of Cloud Condensation Nuclei, 9/2005 - 8/2007, awarded to Prof. Sergey Nizkorodov and Otto Dopfer in support of their collaborative research.
• Dreyfus Postdoctoral Scholarship in Environmental Chemistry from the Camille and Henry Dreyfus Foundation, awarded to Prof. Sergey Nizkorodov to recruit and train a postdoctoral researcher (2004-2006). Dr. Jiho Park became the scholar.
• Research Innovation Award from the Research Corporation, Development of a novel approach for studying the mechanism of ozonolysis of unsaturated fatty acids at gas-solid and gas-liquid interfaces.

Private Donations

Monetary donations from private individuals and companies have been invaluable for the group because they make it possible to purchase items than cannot be acquired with federal grants, such as computers for the graduate student offices. Such donations can also give the students an opportunity to travel to conferences, buy books, pay for their membership in professional societies, etc.

If you are interested in supporting our research you can do this by sending a check payable to UC Regents to the dean of the School of Physical Sciences (the address is given below). Be sure to indicate in your cover letter that the check is meant for the Aerosol Research Group fund 445954-56114. You will get a formal letter from the dean acknowledging your donation. You can also donate money on-line (select School of Physical Sciences, Department of Chemistry Support).

School of Physical Sciences
Office of the Dean
Suite 164 Rowland Hall
University of California, Irvine
Irvine, CA 92697-4675

Equipment Donations

We are constantly looking for donations of used or new instruments both for research purposes and also for serving the needs of undergraduate education in the UCI Chemistry Department. If you have research equipment in working condition that you no longer need consider giving it a second life. We are especially interested in the following items:

• UV/Vis and IR optical instruments such as FTIR spectrometers and spectrophotometers, and accessories for such instruments
• GC, GCMS, and HPLC chromatographic equipment and accessories
• Aerosol particle instruments such as particle counters, particle sizers, particle generators, and particle samplers.
• Research grade lasers and optics
• Gas monitors for ozone, CO, CO2, NOx, NOy, SO2, and other atmospherically relevant species.
• Gas handling equipment including mass flow controllers, flow meters, pressure sensors, zero-air generators, ozone generators, etc.
• Mass-spectrometers
• Various laboratory instruments and tools such as vacuum pumps, compressors, microscopes, balances, ovens, dewars, cryostats, environmental chambers, deep freezers, leak testers, etc.
• Various electronics including power supplies, function generators, oscilloscopes, amplifiers, fillters, delay generators, lock-in amplifiers, integrators, counters, etc.

If you have equipment to donate please e-mail Prof. Sergey Nizkorodov at nizkorod@uci.edu or call him at 949-824-1262.