Current Appointment
Associate Professor of Chemistry, Department of Chemistry
Education
Ph.D., 1980, Pennsylvania State University,
University Park, PA
B.A., 1976, University of Massachusetts, Boston, MA
Research Interests
Analytical Chemistry Professor Robbat's research interests include the development of innovative analytical instruments, methods, and data analysis software used to solve a wide range of environmental problems, including: a subsurface sampling and analysis probe that detects pollutants without bringing soil or groundwater to the surface for analysis. This technology is used to rapidly characterize hazardous waste sites and to provide monitoring data during cleanup. Two-dimensional gas and liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC-GC/MS and LC-LC/MS) to produce libraries of compounds in complex environmental samples. This technology has been used to probe plant metabolite profiles, to authenticate the quality of foods we eat and drink, and to provide forensic analyses of pollutants as crude oil and coal tar degrade in the environment. Professor Robbat is also working on a novel plant-based material that efficiently extracts crude oil and coal tar from contaminated soils, sands, and water as well as oil from tar sands used to produce energy.
Selected Recent Publications
"Comprehensive Profiling of Coal Tar and Crude Oil to Obtain Mass Spectra and Retention Indices for Alkylated PAH Shows Why Current Methods Err", C. Zeigler and A. Robbat, Jr., Environ. Sci. Technol., 2012, 46, 3935-3942.
"Toward the Accurate Analysis of C1-C4 Polycyclic Aromatic Sulfur Heterocycles", C. Zeigler, N. Wilton, A. Robbat, Jr., Anal. Chem., 2012, 84, 2245-2252.
"Tracking Juniper Berry Content in Oils and
Distillates by Spectral Deconvolution of Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry
Data", A. Robbat Jr., A. Kowalsick, J. Howell, J. Chrom. A, 2011, 1218, 5531-5541.
"Subsurface detection of fossil fuel pollutants by
photoionization and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry", A. Robbat Jr., T.
Considine, P. M. Antle, Chemosphere, 2010, 80, 1370–1376.
"Rapid Gas Chromatographic Analysis of Less
Abundant Compounds in Distilled Spirits by Direct Injection with Ethanol-Water
Venting and Mass Spectrometric Data Deconvolution", K. MacNamara, M. Lee, and A. Robbat Jr., J. Chrom. A, 2010, 1217, 136–142.
"Quantitative Identification Of Pesticides As Target Compounds And Unknowns By
Spectral Deconvolution Of Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry Data", A. Robbat,
Jr., A. Hoffmann, K. MacNamara, and Y. Huang, JOAC International, 2008, 91,
1467-1477.
"Total Alkylated Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon Characterization and
Quantitative Comparison of Selected Ion Monitoring versus Full Scan Gas
Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry Based on Spectral Deconvolution", C. Zeigler, K.
MacNamara, Z. Wang, and A. Robbat, Jr., J. Chrom., 2008, 1205,
109-116.
"On-site Profiling and Speciation of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons at
Manufactured Gas Plant Sites by a High Temperature Transfer Line, Membrane Inlet
Probe coupled to a Photoionization Detector and Gas Chromatograph/Mass
Spectrometer", T. Considine and A. Robbat, Jr. Environ. Sci. Technol, 2008, 42,
1213-1220.
Additional publications can be found HERE. |
