Deal Lab

We are interested in improving our understanding of chemistry at air-water interfaces, which is relevant to a variety of areas of study, including climate, health, materials development, and sustainable energy. Studies have shown that, at the interface, chemical reactivity is enhanced on and within aqueous droplets, with reaction rates greater by magnitudes of up to 106 compared to the bulk. Interest in understanding the unique chemistry that occurs under micro-confinement has grown in recent years, but conflicting findings have led to controversy about what drives it. Most studies have only indirectly probed aqueous surfaces, highlighting a need for new techniques to study interface chemistry more directly. Our goal is to better understand interfacial chemistry by developing new techniques to study microdroplets and surfaces.