Chemistry Faculty

Analytical Chemistry

Courses recently taught

Our group is interested in the development of analytical instrumentation/methods for on-line monitoring of disinfection by-products in drinking water and for monitoring of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in air. Membrane-based sampling devices are an essential component of this research as they provide for simple and efficient extraction of target compounds form water/air matrices and subsequent introduction to a gas chromatography (GC) or liquid chromatography (LC) instruments.

The diffusion process associated with the membrane-sampling devices is also of interest. Fundamental studies are used to determine diffusion coefficients, permeation fluxes, extraction efficiencies, and response times for the target compounds (e.g. trihalomethanes), thus allowing for optimization of the sampling devices. More...

Additional research involves the development of LED-based detectors, such as a fluorescence detector for flow injection analysis (FIA), capillary electrophoresis (CE), or liquid chromatography applications.

Representative Publications

Emmert, G. L.; Geme, G.; Brown, M. A.; Simone, P. S., “A Single Automated Instrument for Monitoring of Total Trihalomethanes and Total Haloacetic Acids Concentrations in Near Real-time”, Anal. Chim. Acta 2009, 656(1-2), 1-7.

Simone, P. S.; Ranaivo, P. L.; Geme, G.; Brown, M. A.; Emmert, G. L., “On-line Monitoring of Nine Haloacetic Acid Species at the µg L-1 Level using Post-column Reaction-Ion Chromatography with Nicotinamide Fluorescence”, Anal. Chim. Acta 2009, 654(2), 133-140.

Brown, M. A., Miller S., and Emmert, G. L., “On-Line Purge and Trap Gas Chromatography for Monitoring of Trihalomethanes in Drinking Water Distribution Systems.”, Anal. Chim. Acta 2007, 592(2), 154-161.

Brown, M. A., and Emmert, G. L., “On-line Monitoring of Trihalomethane Concentrations in Drinking Water Distribution Systems Using Capillary Membrane Sampling–Gas Chromatography.”, Anal. Chim. Acta, 2006, 555, 75-83.

Emmert, G. L. Brown, M. A., Liao, Z., Cao, G., and Duty, C., “Supported Capillary Membrane Sampling-Gas Chromatography on a Valve with a Pulsed Discharge Photoionization Detector”, Anal. Chim. Acta 2006, 560, 197-206.