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Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty

Teaching

CHEM 120B General Chemistry
CHEM 315 Theory of Quantitative Chemistry
CHEM 316 Quantitative Chemistry Laboratory
CHEM 355 Physical Chemistry Laboratory
CHEM 371B Physical Chemistry
CHEM 411G Mass Spectrometry
CHEM 552 Kinetics and Spectroscopy

Education

Postdoctoral Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Caltech Pasadena, CA
Ph.D. Wayne State University, Detroit, MI
M.A. Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI
B.S. South China Institute of Technology

Research Interests

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are a group of air pollutants that significantly contribute to photochemical smog and secondary organic aerosols.  Understanding the removal of air pollutants from the atmosphere requires kinetics information for the reactions of VOCs with atmospheric oxidants such as OH, Cl, O3,and NO3. It is important to accurately model the atmospheric composition and forecast the air quality of the polluted area. Using the relative rate combined with discharge flow and mass spectrometry (RR/DF/MS) technique our laboratory carries out experimental measurements to acquire such kinetics information.

Inorganic air pollutants such as NO2, SO2, and CO2 are produced in the combustion of fossil fuels, and they are responsible for global changes, including global warming and production of smog particulates that adversely affect the environment and human health. Our laboratory conducts experiments exploring ways for removal of these inorganic air pollutants, with focus on the investigation of reaction mechanisms and kinetics of the chemical processes involving these pollutants using FTIR and mass spectrometry techniques.

Our laboratory is also developing an analytical tool, namely the FTIR-ATR technique, for detection and quantification of VOCs in water, which is important for monitoring water quality and studying the removal of the VOCs contaminants from water.  We hope that this technique can be used to identify and quantify many VOCs contaminants, including industrial solvents, fuel additives, herbicides, and pesticides etc., in water analysis.

Li Group Activities

January 2012

An undergraduate student from Dr. Zhuangjie Li’s group, Mubashir Sheikh, presented a poster at the COAST-WRPI Faculty-Student Research Poster Reception at the Chancellor's Office in Long Beach. The poster was entitled “Detection and quantification of cis-1,2-Dichloroethylene in water using the FTIR-ATR Technique.”

March 2011

The Li Research Group presented two posters at the 28th Informal Symposium on Kinetics and Photochemical Processes in the Atmosphere held at UCI on March 3 (undergraduate student coauthors are underlined):

• A. Montenegro, J. S. A. Ishibashi, P. Lam, Z. Li: “Kinetics Study of Reaction of Pinenes with Hydroxyl Radical at 1–8 Torr and 240-340 K Using the Relative Rate/Discharge Flow/Mass Spectrometry Method”.

• B.Q. Zhang, Z. Li, F.M. Tao: “Formation of HONO(g) and NH4NO3(s) from Homogeneous Gas-Phase Reaction 2NO2(g) + H2O(g) + NH3(g) → HONO(g) + NH4NO3(s) - A new Source of HONO(g) and NH4NO3(s) Aerosol”.
 

Recent Publications

Lin, W., Z. Li, “Detection and quantification of trace organic contaminants in water using the FTIR-ATR technique”, Anal. Chem., 85, 505-515 (2010).

Deepali Mehta, Andrew Nguyen, Anthony Montenegro, and Z. Li: "A Kinetic Study of the Reaction of OH with Xylenes using the Relative Rate/Discharge Flow/Mass Spectrometry Technique", J. Phys. Chem. A, 113, 12942-12951 (2009).

Li, Z., Sumitpal Singh: “FTIR and Ab Initio Investigations of MTBE-water complex”, J. Phys. Chem. A, 112, 8593–8599(2008).
Sumitpal Singh, Z. Li: “Kinetics Investigation of OH Reaction with Isoprene at 240-340K and 1-3 Torr using the Relative Rate/Discharge Flow/Mass Spectrometry Technique”, J. Phys. Chem. A, 111, 11843-11851(2007).

Li, Z., Sumitpal Singh, William Woodward, Lan Dang: “Kinetics Study of OH Radical Reactions with n-Octane, n-Nonane, and n-Decane at 240-340 K Using the Relative Rate/Discharge Flow/Mass Spectrometry Technique”, J. Phys. Chem. A, 110, 12150-12157(2006).
Li, Y., J. Sun, J., Han, K., He, G., Li, Z.: “The dynamics of NO radical formation in the UV 266 nm photodissociation”, Chem. Phys. Letts., 421, 232–236(2006).

Li, Z., Pirasteh, A.: “Kinetic Study of the Reactions of Atomic Chlorine with Several Volatile Organic Compounds at 240 – 340 K”, Int. J. Chem. Kinetics, 38, 386–398(2006).

Li, Z., Nguyen, P. de Leon, M.F., Wang, J.H., Han, K.L., He, G.Z.: “Experimental and theoretical study of reaction of OH with 1,3-butadiene”, J. Phys. Chem. A, 110, 2698–2708(2006).

Sun, H, Li, Z.: “Rate constant measurement for the OH + OH → H2O + O reaction at 220-350 K using discharge flow/mass spectrometer/resonance fluorescence technique”, Chem. Phys. Lett, 399, 33-38(2004).

Crawford, M.A., Li, Z., Heuerman, H.A., Kinscherff, D.: “A Kinetic and Product Study of Reaction of Chlorine Atom with CH3CH2OD”, Int. J. Chem. Kinet., 36, 584-590(2004).