35th Annual Student Research Conference
Synthesis of the Sulfate Ester, Tertiary Isoprene Sulfate
Taylor R. Bradshaw* and Grace E. Gibson
Dr. Tim Humphry, Faculty Mentor
Sulfate esters are found as aerosols in the atmosphere and are believed to act as global cooling agents by forming nucleation sites for clouds. However, little is known about their formation and physical properties. The goal of this study is to synthesize tertiary isoprene sulfate from isoprene monoxide, which comprises the large majority of identified sulfate esters in the atmosphere. After each step of the synthesis, NMR was used to characterize and confirm the identity of the product before proceeding to the next step. Once this end product is attained and characterized, it will be sent to Dr. Betsy Stone at the University of Iowa to be analyzed through mass spectrometry. With a pure product, Dr. Stone will be able to precisely quantify the amount of tertiary isoprene sulfate in the atmosphere, giving others a place to start diving deep into the study of these global cooling agents.
Keywords: synthesis, sulfate, ester, global cooling, NMR, characterize
Topic(s):Chemistry
Presentation Type: Oral Presentation
Session: 206-2
Location: MG 1000
Time: 10:30