Welcome to the Bluhm Group: understanding the properties of aqueous solution-vapor interfaces with relevance to atmospheric chemistry on the molecular scale.

Many of the chemical reactions and pathways that affect our daily lives, from the formation of clouds to the movement of pathogens, occur at the liquid-vapor interface: a complex junction with many dynamic interactions. Despite these influential features, there is much left to be uncovered regarding the kinetics and composition of these heterogeneous reactions. We at the Bluhm Group want to better understand the chemical and physical processes at this region, in both its fundamental science and wide-ranging applications.

To approach these questions, the Bluhm Group employs a number of experimental techniques that can cope with the fluxional nature of the interface. These range from simple surface tension measurements via the Wilhelmy method to more advanced techniques involving ambient pressure x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (AP-XPS) systems.