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Navy TechConnect: Distinguished Lecture Series presents Dr. Graham Cooks!
Monday, February 23, 2026
TechGrid: 221 W. Inyokern Rd. Ridgecrest, CA 93555
11:30am-12:30pm
Title: “Accelerated reactions in Microdroplets: Mechanism, Analysis & Synthesis”
Abstract:
Two publications from this lab, in 2011 and 2012, used mass spectrometry to show that the rates of reactions in microdroplets are accelerated by many orders of magnitude. These experiments used ordinary organic solvents and demonstrated that acceleration occurs at the solution/air interface. These observations were then extended to a range of classical organic reactions. The Zare group showed reaction acceleration in aqueous microdroplets, for oxidation and other reactions.
This presentation covers three topics. (i) The mechanism of acceleration which involves partial solvation at the interface (solvation is more important in the reagents than the transition state in bimolecular reactions, so increasing rate constants) as well as highly reactive species derived from water radical cation, H2O+.. (ii) The application of reaction acceleration in chemical analysis and especially for synthesis, both for scale-up (g/h) and for small-scale high-throughput reactions (1 Hz) for drug discovery (Figure). Thousands of new compounds are generated per hour allowing rapid screening, collection, and bioactivity testing of nanogram amounts of new drug analogs. (iii) The implications of accelerated microdroplet reactions in prebiotic chemistry and the origin of homochiral life.
Bio – Graham Cooks was born in Benoni, South Africa, and was awarded Ph. D.’s by the University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg. and by Cambridge University, UK. He is the Henry B. Hass Distinguished Professor of Chemistry at Purdue University where he has spent the bulk of his career. His interests involve construction of mass spectrometers and unique applications. The latter interest led to construction of tandem sector and miniature ion trap mass spectrometers and their application to problems of trace chemical agent detection. He has graduated Π/2 Ph.D’s. He is a member of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Inventors, and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Major contributions to tandem mass spectrometry, ambient ionization and ion/surface interactions have been recognized by national and international awards for work that is highly cited (one of 100 most-cited chemists). His prolific research is reflected in over 1000 scientific papers cited more than 100,000 times, and his innovations have resulted in over 100 patents and the creation of five companies.
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The Distinguished Lecture Series (DLS) is a monthly program under Navy TechConnect designed to bring thought leaders, innovators, and subject-matter experts together with our technical community to foster dialogue around cutting-edge science, engineering, and defense technologies.
Event Venue & Nearby Stays
221 W Inyokern Rd, 221 West Inyokern Road, Ridgecrest, United States
USD 0.00
