Donald Land

Donald P. Land is a Professor of Chemistry at the University of California, Davis since 1991. His research focuses on surface chemistry at interfaces, including catalysis, biomedical implant interactions, and environmental remediation. He developed novel techniques like laser-induced thermal desorption (LITD) combined with Fourier transform mass spectrometry (FTMS) for studying surface reactions. His work integrates microscopy and molecular kinetics to understand structure-function relationships in surface chemistry.

Education: Ph.D. in Chemistry (1989, UC Irvine), B.A. in Chemistry (1984, Lawrence University of Wisconsin). Postdoctoral training included Alexander von Humboldt Fellowships (1990-1991) and research at UC Irvine's Institute for Surface and Interface Science (1989-1990).

Research emphasizes heterogeneous catalysis, surface reactivity of metals (e.g., Pd(111)), and analytical methods for studying adsorbate interactions. Recent work expanded into cannabis chemistry, forensic glass analysis, and polymer surface engineering.

Publications span over three decades, with 15+ impactful articles since 2000. Notable contributions include studies on hydrocarbon decomposition on palladium surfaces and FTIR/FTMS-based surface characterization techniques.