Romulo Cruz-Simbron

I’m a third-year graduate student in Volkamer’s lab, where I study the formation of iodous acid in the atmosphere and the role of glyoxal in new particle formation involving sulfuric acid and anhydrous ammonia under Asian Tropopause Aerosol Layer (ATAL) conditions. After graduating, I hope to participate in flight campaigns across South America to explore atmospheric processes that directly impact both people and ecosystems.

GSRA Research Summary

Title: Iodine is an essential micronutrient found in the oceans, minerals, and atmosphere. It enters the atmosphere through emissions from coastal macroalgae and ice caps, making it a widespread component of the air. Once airborne, iodine undergoes photochemical reactions with ozone and light, forming a variety of oxides and oxoacids. These species play a key role in atmospheric iodine chemistry and cycling, and they have been the focus of intense research over the past decade.

Despite significant progress, our understanding of the mechanisms that return iodine from particulate iodate back into the gas phase still requires further investigation. In particular, chemical pathways that occur under extreme environmental conditions, such as highly acidic and low-humidity environments, may be underrepresented in current atmospheric models. One example is the Schmitz-Furrow-Noszticzius (SFN) reaction, which involves the transformation of iodate under strongly acidic conditions. This process may produce previously unrecognized iodine intermediates that are relevant to atmospheric chemistry.

This proposal aims to investigate the role of these intermediates in the recycling of iodine. Preliminary theoretical results suggest that some of these species may be stable and reactive under atmospheric conditions. These findings provide a foundation for targeted experiments to detect these intermediates and study their interactions with water, ozone, and light.