Atmospheric Chemistry in Undergraduate Labs

Posted on Monday 6 October 2025

A team of researchers at the University of York have developed a new experiment that allows students to explore atmospheric chemistry in undergraduate labs. Traditional investigations into the sunlight-driven chemistry of the atmosphere use complex instruments, hazardous equipment, or extensive theoretical calculations, none of which are suited to teaching environments. The team implemented the new spectroscopy experiment in undergraduate final-year research projects and summer projects, getting students thinking about chemistry, air-quality and sustainability. The results have been so good that the team have incorporated these methods in their own cutting-edge research to generate novel, publication-quality kinetic data. 

Details of this project are published in the journal RSC Sustainability as part of the themed collection “Chemical Education for Global Sustainability”. The paper is free to access and includes resources to help others implement these methods in their own teaching and research.