The Environmental Molecular Sciences Institute was established in October 1998 as an interdisciplinary research center formed to study fundamental scientific and engineering issues related to subsurface/interfacial contaminant problems.

Faculty Participants: Research Thrust Areas

UHV Surface Science George Flynn Richard Osgood Theory Bruce Berne Richard Friesner Interfacial Probes Ken Eisenthal George Flynn Tony Heinz Mesoscale Transport & Reactivity Ann McDermott Pon Somasundaran Nicholas Turro

Novel Structures/Species Louis Brus Irving Herman Ged Parkin Macroscale Transport & Reactivity Peter Schlosser Jim Simpson Martin Stute Education, Outreach & Evaluation Len Fine Stephanie Pfirman Martin Stute

What we said we would do:

• "..address fundamental chemical questions associated with subsurface contaminants.."
• "..address and integrate questions of molecular chemistry on three ... length scales: atomic (10^-10 m); microscopic (10^-6 m); macroscopic (10⁺⁴ m)..."

Where we were in 1998:

• NO faculty were working on iron oxide chemistry or properties
• Few faculty were involved with their present EMSI projects

Where we are now:

• Institute established and active in research as well as in education and outreach
• New research directions started by roughly a dozen faculty
• Efforts integrated around iron/transport/adsorption/reaction themes

Where we hope to be in the near future:

• Add substantially to the body of research in contaminant chemistry and transport
• Begin new directions coupling this work to bioremediation chemistry and to arsenic chemistry and transport
• Establish an interdisciplinary research style that encompasses scientific/technological thinking and investigation across multiple length and time scales
• "...[develop] a highly detailed, fundamental and accurate picture of the "birth to death" scenario for heavy metal and organic pollutants in porous soils..."