Dr Lavinia Onel

Profile

My research has spanned a range of topics within physical chemistry, united throughout by a sustained focus on chemical kinetics. This theme has shaped my work from early studies of reaction kinetics in aqueous solutions in Budapest (Hungary) and Iași (Romania) and in micellar pseudo-phases in Cardiff, through to my research at Leeds since 2011.

At Leeds, I have worked in the areas of atmospheric chemistry and combustion chemistry. In atmospheric chemistry my research addresses key reactive species and chemical processes that impact air quality, human health impacts, and climate. My studies have combined experimental chemical kinetics, instrument and method development, theoretical calculations using MESMER (Master Equation Solver for Multi-Energy Well Reactions), and development of atmospheric chemical mechanisms in box models using the Master Chemical Mechanism. My work included studies of the atmospheric oxidation of amines, motivated by their potential release into the atmosphere from post‑combustion carbon capture, studies of reactions of Criegee intermediates, and the first direct in situ quantitative detection of Criegee intermediates formed under realistic atmospheric conditions in the HIRAC (Highly Instrumented Reactor for Atmospheric Chemistry). I developed a new method for detecting CH₃O₂ — the most abundant peroxy radical in the atmosphere — using FAGE (laser-induced fluorescence at low pressure) and validated both this method and the established FAGE technique for HO₂ radical detection through comparison with CRDS (cavity ring-down spectroscopy) measurements.

Through my present project I have extended this expertise to field measurements of HO₂ uptake onto ambient aerosols, an important but poorly constrained atmospheric process. I constructed a new FAGE‑based instrument to measure HO₂ reactivity and, in 2025, led a measurement campaign at the Manchester Air Pollution Supersite. This campaign delivered the first measurements of the HO₂ uptake coefficients on ambient aerosol particles in the UK and was carried out alongside comprehensive supporting measurements collected by scientists from the Universities of Leeds, Manchester and York.

In combustion chemistry, I contributed to the development of an instrument to study OH radical reaction kinetics under low‑temperature combustion (LTC) conditions using laser‑induced fluorescence. My work also included studies of key processes in the LTC of the biofuel dimethyl ether as well as methyl formate and ethyl formate – model fuels used to understand biodiesel combustion– using a combination of laboratory experiments and master equation modelling.

Professional memberships

• Associate Fellow of the Higher Education Academy
• Member of Royal Society of Chemistry
• Member of American Geophysical Union
• Member of European Geophysical Union

Research groups and institutes

• Atmospheric and Planetary Chemistry