Simeen Satar

Research
My research centers on the kinetics and thermodynamics of electrolyte solutions. Such solutions are a recurring motif in the curriculum: a simple experiment in the first week of general chemistry demonstrates the effect of dissolving table salt in water and a simple theory developed in the last week of physical chemistry models this solution.

My interest in electrolyte solutions began with my doctoral research concerning time-dependent interactions among ions and the surrounding solvent molecules and continues at Bard through two ongoing research projects. The first project uses infrared (IR) spectroscopy to study the time-averaged interactions between ions and water. Quantitative information, such as the number of water molecules immediately surrounding the ions, can be found from an analysis of the spectroscopic data. Three students who completed Senior Projects in this area established a method using aqueous metal perchlorates as protototypical systems. A fourth senior investigated a new series of electrolytes in which the positive ions contain hydrophobic groups.

The second project involves oscillating reactions. Anybody who has seen an oscillating reaction knows how mesmerizing it can be ... and that the oscillations eventually die out. However, there are means of sustaining the oscillations that allow us to better characterize these complex reactions. One senior's work comparing phenomena observed in the bromate/chlorite/iodide system at different pHs to predictions of a model containing fifteen chemical species and twenty-six chemical reactions was published in the Journal of Physical Chemistry. Another senior is studied mixing effects in the chlorite/iodide system with the goal of testing a published mechanism of this reaction. This work has also been published.

I am excited by the prospect of raising and answering meaningful questions about fundamental topics in chemistry. Both these projects provide an opportunity for students working with me to share in this excitement.

Publications (1995-)

• Jowza, M.; Sattar, S.; Olsen R.J. Modeling chlorite-iodide reaction dynamics using a chlorine dioxide0iodide reaction mechanism, J. Phys. Chem. A 2005, 109, 1873
• Sattar, S. Thermodynamics of mixing real gases. J. Chem. Educ., 2000, 77, 1361.
• Sattar, S.; Rinehart, F. P. Diffusion of CsCl in aqueous glycerol measured by laser refraction. J. Chem. Educ. 1998, 75, 1136.
• Gaudioso, J.; Sattar, S. New experimental studies and simulations of the bromate-chlorite-iodide coupled oscillating reaction. J. Phys. Chem. 1995, 99, 14749.
• Sattar, S.; Francis, L. F. Formation of chromium hydroxide particles in silica gels. J. Mat. Sci. Letts. 1995, 14, 1354.