Email: amapile@uoregon.edu
Education:
BS in Chemistry (2019)
University of Puget Sound, Tacoma, WA
Research Project:
With my VSFS laser system, I am probing the planar interface of hexadecane and water. We are interested in the molecular ordering of surfactants, polymers, and other chemical species at this interface for applications in cosmetics, food science, drug delivery, and oil spill remediation. Understanding the solvation behavior at this interface is also interesting in comparison to other hydrophobic/water interfaces such as the planar air/water, planar CCl4/water, and curved hexadecane/water interface.
Some questions I am answering in my research are:
- How does the molecular ordering of carboxylic acid surfactants change at the nanoemulsion and planar hexadecane surface? Is this due to different geometries or different stability states?
- How will experiments at the planar hexadecane/water interface better inform the development of marine oil dispersants?
Outside the Lab:
Outside of lab, you can find me mountain biking and frisbee golfing around Eugene or cuddling with my cat, Nibbler.
For more information, please visit my personal website!