An experimental approach towards understanding the photochemistry occurring at the air/aerosol interface and sea surface microlayer

2020 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K22901
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Research (Exploratory)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Medium-sized Section 63:Environmental analyses and evaluation and related fields
• Research Institution: The University of Tokyo
• Principal Investigator: Hama Tetsuya 東京大学, 大学院総合文化研究科, 准教授 (20579172)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-06-28 – 2021-03-31
• Keywords: 海洋表面マイクロ層 / 大気エアロゾル / クチクラ層 / 光化学反応 / 気液界面 / レーザー誘起蛍光法 / 表皮 / 赤外分光法

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We have developed an instrument for direct detection of desorption of OH radicals in the ultraviolet photolysis of liquid nonanoic acid by using laser-induced fluorescence technique.
Moreover, we developed a novel method for in vivo structural analysis of nanometer-thick films of chemical agents adsorbed on the human skin surface using polarized infrared external reflection (PIR-ER) spectroscopy. We showed that the PIR-ER spectra provide rich information about the molecular conformation (highly packed all-trans zigzag or disordered gauche conformation) and orientation (perpendicular or parallel to the skin) of the thin films of stearyl alcohol, which is a common ingredient in cosmetics and drugs.

Free Research Field

宇宙惑星科学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究で，液体界面の光反応実験装置に加えて，新たに開発した「偏光赤外外部反射分光法による生体表面分析法」は，高強度レーザーやイオン，電子などの高エネルギー粒子を使わない安価な非破壊分析法でありながら，高感度(10 nm以下の薄膜を高いシグナル／ノイズ比で測定できる），測定対象が幅広い(ヒトの表皮や葉のクチクラなどの生体表面を測定可能)という特徴を持つため，今後の産業界への貢献が大きく期待できる分析法である．　本研究と物性分析法（撥水性や保水性を調べる場合は接触角測定など）を組み合わせることで，新しい材料の設計・開発への応用につながると期待される．