The University College Cork (UCC) was founded in 1845 and today has over 14,000 students and 1,700 staff.  UCC is the largest Irish university outside the capital, Dublin, and is established as one of the top institutions in Ireland for innovative research.  This position has recently been strengthened by the award of 15MEuro from government funds for UCC to set up the country's first Environmental Research Institute (ERI). The Centre for Research into Atmospheric Chemistry (CRAC) consists of 3 permanent research scientists (Professor John Sodeau, Dr John Wenger and Dr Andy Ruth), three postdoctoral researchers and 10 postgraduate students drawn from a variety of relevant backgrounds.  The team currently contains EU Nationals from Ireland, Germany, UK, Italy, France and Norway and is aiming to have an international impact in the field of atmospheric chemistry.  Indeed, the CRAC has been successful in obtaining ca. 2MEuro in funds from National and European sources and has active collaborations with institutes in Ireland, France, UK, Germany and Spain.    

The principal research interests of Dr John Wenger are the kinetics and mechanisms for the atmospheric degradation of volatile organic compounds (VOCs).  Recent studies have focused on the atmospheric chemistry of aromatic compounds and oxygenated biogenic VOCs. The principal research interests of Prof John Sodeau are heterogeneous chemical processes in the atmosphere.  Recent studies have focused on the role of ionic species in low-temperature (ice) reactions and the chemical transformations of sulfuric acid aerosols with inorganic and organic reaction partners.

A new set of specially designed laboratories and offices was built for the atmospheric chemistry group at UCC in 1999.  The laboratory/office suite covers a total area of 120 m2 and cost 700,000 Euros to build.  The preparative laboratory is equipped with two fume hoods, several vacuum lines and contains a large preparations area.  The air-conditioned instrument laboratory contains the following dedicated experimental apparatuses:

Atmospheric Simulation Chambers
The  laboratory is equipped with 2 atmospheric simulation chambers.  The 3,910 litre chamber is a cylinder of Teflon foil surrounded by UV-visible lamps.  It is equipped with in situ FTIR spectroscopy (path length 230 m), GC and GC-MS (Varian Saturn 2000) for chemical analysis.  The chamber is operated at atmospheric pressure with purified dry air generated from ambient air using an air purification system.  Between experiments the chamber is flushed with clean air.

Experiments on the OH, O3 and NO3 initiated oxidation of VOCs are performed in order to determine rate coefficients and reaction products.  Determination of the reaction products is aided by the use of derivatizating agents, such as PFBHA for the identification of carbonyl compounds, in conjunction with the GC-MS technique.

The 6,180 litre atmospheric simulation chamber is used for the study of secondary organic aerosol formation.  A scanning mobility particle sizer (SMPS) consisting of a condensation particle counter (TSI 3022A) and an electrostatic classifier (TSI 3071A) is used to measure the number concentration and size distribution of aerosol particles.  An annular denuder is used to collect gas and particle phase reaction products for analysis by GC-MS.  The chamber is also equipped with gas chromatography and a NOx analyzer.

Aerosol Flow-tube Reactor
The flow-tube reactor is designed for studies of the interactions of gaseous species with aerosols.  It is made of glass and has an inner diameter of 10 cm and a maximal reactive length of 80 cm.  An aerosol generator is used to produce aerosols of desired composition e.g. ammonium bisulfate, sulfuric acid.  FTIR spectroscopy is used to determine the extent of interaction between selected gases (e.g. ammonia) and the aerosol.  The aerosol fraction is monitored downstream by a scanning mobility particle sizer and a novel chemiluminescence apparatus, which is used to monitor both gaseous ammonia and ammonium ions in the aerosols.

Cryospheric Experimental Apparatus
Two sets of apparatus are used to mimic ice-particle and snow chemistry/photochemistry. The first consists of a high vacuum chamber with a temperature controlled substrate onto which ice films (and reactants) can be deposited.  The subsequent surface chemistry and product release can be monitored using FTIR spectroscopy and thermal desorption mass spectrometry. The second approach uses Raman spectroscopy and UV-Visible spectroscopy coupled with optimization modeling techniques to investigate ionic speciation of frozen systems relevant to atmospheric chemistry.

Additional Instrumentation for airborne particulate analysis
ICP-OES, ion chromatography and spectrofluorimetry.