John V. Seeley

Title: Professor
Analytical Chemistry
Office: 267 Mathematics and Science Center
Phone: (248) 370-2329
E-mail: [email protected]

Degrees

B.S. Central Michigan University 1989 
Ph.D. Massachusetts Institute of Technology 1994

Research Interests

Professor Seeley’s research group focuses on developing methods for characterizing complex mixtures of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). In the past three years, they have created a novel multidimensional gas chromatography system that can separate and quantify over one hundred compounds in less than ten minutes. They are continuing to develop this technology through a series of projects that include establishing a retention time database of a wide variety of VOCs, writing improved software for instrument operation and data analysis, and developing theoretical methods to predict retention times from compound structure.

Professor Seeley’s research group is using their chromatographic technique to study the chemistry of the atmosphere. One research project focuses on evaluating the importance of lakes as a source of VOCs. Preliminary laboratory studies indicate that lake water produces appreciable quantities of straight chain aldehydes when exposed to gaseous ozone. Future work will combine field and laboratory measurements to determine if this process is an important source of VOCs in the lower atmosphere. The instrument development project and the atmospheric chemistry project are funded by a five-year National Science Foundation award.

Professor Seeley’s research group is also examining the utility of breath analysis as a tool for non-invasive disease detection. Several research groups have shown that the VOCs in exhaled breath can be used to detect a variety of diseases including lung cancer, hepatitis, and diabetes. The multidimensional chromatographic techniques developed in Dr. Seeley’s laboratory allow breath to be characterized with unsurpassed speed and resolution. They are currently creating improved breath collection strategies and conducting pilot studies to evaluate the efficacy of breath analysis for disease diagnosis and chemical exposure assessment. This project is funded by the Oakland University Research Excellence Fund and the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences.

Recent Publications

J.V. Seeley, S.K. Seeley, E. K. Libby, Z.S. Breitbach, and D.W. Armstrong, “Comprehensive Two-Dimensional Gas Chromatography Using A High-Temperature Phosphonium Ionic Liquid Column”, Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry, 390, 323-332, 2008.

J.V. Seeley and S.K. Seeley, “Model for Predicting Comprehensive Two-Dimensional Gas Chromatography Retention Times”, Journal of Chromatography A,1172, 72-83, 2007.

J.V. Seeley, S.V. Bandurski, S.K. Seeley, R.G. Brown, and J.D. McCurry, “A Comprehensive Two-Dimensional Gas Chromatography Method for Analyzing Extractable Petroleum Hydrocarbons in Water and Soil”, Journal of Chromatographic Science, 45, 650-656, 2007.

J.V. Seeley, E. Libby, S.K. Seeley, and J.D. McCurry, “Analysis of Biodiesel/Petroleum Diesel Blends with Comprehensive Two-Dimensional Gas Chromatography”, Journal of Chromatographic Science, 45, 657-663, 2007.

J.V. Seeley, N.J. Micyus, S.V. Bandurski, S.K. Seeley, and J.D. McCurry, “Microfluidic Deans Switch for Comprehensive Two-Dimensional Gas Chromatography”, Analytical Chemistry, 79, 1840-1847, 2007.

J.V. Seeley, N.J. Micyus, J.D. McCurry, and S.K. Seeley, “Comprehensive Two-Dimensional Gas Chromatography With a Simple Fluidic Modulator”, American Laboratory News, 38, 24-26, 2006.

N.J. Micyus, J.D. McCurry, J.V. Seeley, "Analysis of Aromatic Compounds in Gasoline with Flow-Switching Comprehensive Two-Dimensional Gas Chromatography", J. Chrom. A., 1086, 115-121, 2005.

N.J. Micyus, S.K. Seeley, J.V. Seeley, "A Method for Reducing the Ambiguity of Comprehensive Two-Dimensional Chromatography Retention Times", J. Chrom. A., 1086, 171-174, 2005.

J.V. Seeley, A.W. Bull, R. Fehir, S. Cornwall, G.A. Knudsen, S.K. Seeley, “A Simple Method for Measuring Ozone in the Atmosphere”, Journal of Chemical Education, 82, 282-285, 2005.

P.A. Bueno, Jr. and J.V. Seeley, “A Flow-Switching Device for Comprehensive Two-Dimensional Gas Chromatography”, Journal of Chromatography A, 1027, 3-10, 2004.

J.V. Seeley, "Theoretícal study of incomplete sampling of the first dimension in comprehensive two-dimensional chromatography", J. Chrom. A., 962, 21-27, 2002.

J. V. Seeley, F. J. Kramp, K. S. Sharpe, and S. K. Seeley, “Characterization of gaseous mixtures of organic compounds with dual-secondary column comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography”, J. Sep. Science, 25, 53-59, 2002.

J. V. Seeley, F. J. Kramp, and K. S. Sharpe, “A dual-secondary column comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatograph for the analysis of volatile organic compound mixtures”, Journal of Separation Science, 24, 444-50, 2001.

J. V. Seeley, F. Kramp, and C.J. Hicks, “Comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography via differential flow modulation”, Anal. Chem. 72, 4346-4352, 2000.