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Dr Wren Montgomery

Dr Wren Montgomery

Analytical Chemist: FTIR Specialist

Department: Core Research Laboratories
Division: Imaging and Analysis Centre
Contact: email

Qualifications

    Degrees

  • PhD, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley
  • BS, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena

Employment history

    Academic

  • Honorary Research Associate, Imperial College London, United Kingdom, 2019 - ongoing
  • Postdoctoral Research Associate, Imperial College London, Earth Science and Engineering, United Kingdom, 2010 - 2019
  • NERC Research Fellow, University of Bristol, Earth and Planetary Science, United Kingdom, 2007 - 2010

Memberships

Fellow, Royal Astronomical Society, 2017 - on going.

Publications

Rumsey MS, Hawthorne FC, Spratt J, Najorka J, Montgomery W (2022) Bridgesite-(Ce), a new rare earth element sulfate, with a unique crystal structure, from Tynebottom Mine, Cumbria, United Kingdom. Mineralogical Magazine, 86 (4) : 570 - 576. doi: 10.1180/mgm.2022.41

Potiszil C, Montgomery W, Sephton MA (2021) Heterogeneity within refractory organic matter from CM2 Carbonaceous Chondrites: Evidence from Raman spectroscopy. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 574 : 117149 - 117149. doi: 10.1016/j.epsl.2021.117149

Reddyhoff T, Ewen JP, Deshpande P, Frogley MD, Welch MD, Montgomery W (2021) Macroscale Superlubricity and Polymorphism of Long-Chain n-Alcohols. ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, 13 (7) : 9239 - 9251. doi: 10.1021/acsami.0c21918

Montgomery W (2020) New Paths for Survivability of Organic Material in the Martian Subsurface. Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets, 125 (2) : doi: 10.1029/2019je006370

Montgomery W (null) New Paths for Survivability of Organic Material in the Martian Subsurface. null, doi: 10.1002/essoar.10501567.1

Montgomery W, Jaramillo EA, Royle SH, Kounaves SP, Schulze-Makuch D, Sephton MA (2019) Effects of Oxygen-Containing Salts on the Detection of Organic Biomarkers on Mars and in Terrestrial Analog Soils. Astrobiology, 19 (6) : 711 - 721. doi: 10.1089/ast.2018.1888

Montgomery W, Tse J, Yin K, Sephton M (null) The Effect of Pressure on the Prebiotic Carbon of the Early Solar System. Wiley : doi: 10.1002/essoar.10500673.1

Verchovsky AB, Hunt SA, Montgomery W, Sephton MA (2019) Reaction of Q to thermal metamorphism in parent bodies: Experimental simulation. Meteoritics & Planetary Science, 54 (3) : 558 - 572. doi: 10.1111/maps.13231

Montgomery W, Watson JS, Lewis JMT, Zeng H, Sephton MA (2018) Role of Minerals in Hydrogen Sulfide Generation during Steam-Assisted Recovery of Heavy Oil. Energy & Fuels, 32 (4) : 4651 - 4654. doi: 10.1021/acs.energyfuels.7b03566

Royle SH, Oberlin E, Watson JS, Montgomery W, Kounaves SP, Sephton MA (2018) Perchlorate-Driven Combustion of Organic Matter During Pyrolysis-Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry: Implications for Organic Matter Detection on Earth and Mars. Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets, 123 (7) : 1901 - 1909. doi: 10.1029/2018je005615

Schulze-Makuch D, Wagner D, Kounaves SP, Mangelsdorf K, Devine KG, de Vera J-P, Schmitt-Kopplin P, Grossart H-P, Parro V, Kaupenjohann M, Galy A, Schneider B, Airo A, Frösler J, Davila AF, Arens FL, Cáceres L, Cornejo FS, Carrizo D, Dartnell L, DiRuggiero J, Flury M, Ganzert L, Gessner MO, Grathwohl P, Guan L, Heinz J, Hess M, Keppler F, Maus D, McKay CP, Meckenstock RU, Montgomery W, Oberlin EA, Probst AJ, Sáenz JS, Sattler T, Schirmack J, Sephton MA, Schloter M, Uhl J, Valenzuela B, Vestergaard G, Wörmer L, Zamorano P (2018) Transitory microbial habitat in the hyperarid Atacama Desert. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 115 (11) : 2670 - 2675. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1714341115

Royle SH, Montgomery W, Kounaves SP, Sephton MA (2017) Effect of Hydration State of Martian Perchlorate Salts on Their Decomposition Temperatures During Thermal Extraction. Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets, 122 (12) : 2793 - 2802. doi: 10.1002/2017je005381

Potiszil C, Montgomery W, Sephton MA (2017) Effects of Pressure on Model Compounds of Meteorite Organic Matter. ACS Earth and Space Chemistry, 1 (8) : 475 - 482. doi: 10.1021/acsearthspacechem.7b00053

Montgomery W, Bromiley GD, Sephton MA (2016) The nature of organic records in impact excavated rocks on Mars. Scientific Reports, 6 (1) : doi: 10.1038/srep30947

Montgomery W, Potiszil C, Watson JS, Sephton MA (2016) Sporopollenin, a Natural Copolymer, is Robust under High Hydrostatic Pressure. Macromolecular Chemistry and Physics, 217 (22) : 2494 - 2500. doi: 10.1002/macp.201600142

Montgomery W, Sephton MA (null) PRESSURE EFFECTS IN POLYCYCLIC AROMATIC NITROGENATED HETEROCYCLES (PANHs): DIAGNOSTIC QUALITIES AND COSMOBAROMETRY POTENTIAL. The Astrophysical Journal, 819 (1) : 64 - 64. doi: 10.3847/0004-637x/819/1/64

Montgomery W, Sephton MA, Watson JS, Zeng H (2015) The Effects of Minerals on Heavy-Oil and Bitumen Chemistry When Recovered by Steam-Assisted Methods. JOURNAL OF CANADIAN PETROLEUM TECHNOLOGY, 54 (1) : 15 - 17.

Montgomery W, Sephton MA, Watson JS, Zeng H, Rees AC (2015) Minimising hydrogen sulphide generation during steam assisted production of heavy oil. Scientific Reports, 5 (1) : doi: 10.1038/srep08159

Montgomery W, Lerch P, Sephton MA (2014) In-situ vibrational optical rotatory dispersion of molecular organic crystals at high pressures. Analytica Chimica Acta, 842 : 51 - 56. doi: 10.1016/j.aca.2014.07.020

Montgomery W, Sephton MA, Watson JS, Zeng H (2014) The effects of minerals on heavy oil and bitumen chemistry when recovered using steam-assisted methods. Society of Petroleum Engineers - SPE Heavy Oil Conference Canada 2014, 1 : 414 - 420.

Montgomery W, Watson JS, Sephton MA (null) AN ORGANIC COSMO-BAROMETER: DISTINCT PRESSURE AND TEMPERATURE EFFECTS FOR METHYL SUBSTITUTED POLYCYCLIC AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS. The Astrophysical Journal, 784 (2) : 98 - 98. doi: 10.1088/0004-637x/784/2/98

Sephton MA, Lewis JMT, Watson JS, Montgomery W, Garnier C (2014) Perchlorate-induced combustion of organic matter with variable molecular weights: Implications for Mars missions. Geophysical Research Letters, 41 (21) : 7453 - 7460. doi: 10.1002/2014gl062109

Montgomery W, Court RW, Rees AC, Sephton MA (2013) High temperature reactions of water with heavy oil and bitumen: Insights into aquathermolysis chemistry during steam-assisted recovery. Fuel, 113 : 426 - 434. doi: 10.1016/j.fuel.2013.05.098

Montgomery W, Sephton MA, Court RW, Watson JS, Zeng H, Rees A (2013) Quantitative laboratory assessment of aquathermolysis chemistry during steam-assisted recovery of heavy oils and bitumen, with a focus on sulfur. Society of Petroleum Engineers - SPE Heavy Oil Conference Canada 2013, 1 : 249 - 260.

Verchovsky AB, Montgomery W, Sephton MA (2011) Q NOBLE GASES IN THE ORGUEIL Hf/HCl RESIDUE: A HIGH PRESSURE EXPERIMENT. METEORITICS & PLANETARY SCIENCE 46 : A244 - A244.

Montgomery W, Tuff J, Kohn SC, Jones RL (2011) Reactions between organic acids and montmorillonite clay under Earth-forming conditions. Chemical Geology, 283 (3-4) : 171 - 176. doi: 10.1016/j.chemgeo.2010.12.023

Welch MD, Montgomery W, Balan E, Lerch P (2012) Insights into the high-pressure behavior of kaolinite from infrared spectroscopy and quantum-mechanical calculations. Physics and Chemistry of Minerals, 39 (2) : 143 - 151. doi: 10.1007/s00269-011-0469-5

Jennings E, Montgomery W, Lerch P (2010) Stability of Coronene at High Temperature and Pressure. The Journal of Physical Chemistry B, 114 (48) : 15753 - 15758. doi: 10.1021/jp105020f

Montgomery W, Crowhurst JC, Zaug JM, Jeanloz R (2008) The Chemistry of Cyanuric Acid (H3C3N3O3) under High Pressure and High Temperature. The Journal of Physical Chemistry B, 112 (9) : 2644 - 2648. doi: 10.1021/jp073589y

Montgomery W, Crowhurst JC, Zaug JM, Jeanloz R (2008) The chemistry of cyanuric Acid (H3C3N 3O3) under high pressure and high temperature. Journal of Physical Chemistry B, 112 : 2644 - 2648.

Goncharov AF, Manaa MR, Zaug JM, Gee RH, Fried LE, Montgomery WB (null) Polymerization of Formic Acid under High Pressure. Physical Review Letters, 94 (6) : doi: 10.1103/physrevlett.94.065505

Montgomery W, Zaug JM, Howard WM, Goncharov AF, Crowhurst JC, Jeanloz R (2005) Melting Curve and High-Pressure Chemistry of Formic Acid to 8 GPa and 600 K. The Journal of Physical Chemistry B, 109 (41) : 19443 - 19447. doi: 10.1021/jp051967y

Zaug JM, Howard WM, Fried LE, Goncharov AF, Montgomery WB, Crowhurst JC (2005) The Equation of State and Chemistry at Extreme Conditions. Applications to Detonation Products. Chemistry at Extreme Conditions, 399 - 429.

Howard WM, Fried LE, Melius CF, Montgomery WB, Zaug JM, Goncharov AF (2004) Kinetics of formic acid at high pressure and temperature.. ABSTRACTS OF PAPERS OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY 228 : U277 - U277.

Zaug JM, Montgomery WB, Goncharov AF, Crowhurst JC, Howard WM, Fried LE, Meliuss CF (2004) FTIR studies of high-pressure formic acid reactions: Extreme chemistry decomposition kinetics.. ABSTRACTS OF PAPERS OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY 227 : U1221 - U1221.

Introduction

Qualifications

    Degrees

  • PhD, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley
  • BS, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena

Employment history

    Academic

  • Honorary Research Associate, Imperial College London, United Kingdom, 2019 - ongoing
  • Postdoctoral Research Associate, Imperial College London, Earth Science and Engineering, United Kingdom, 2010 - 2019
  • NERC Research Fellow, University of Bristol, Earth and Planetary Science, United Kingdom, 2007 - 2010
Professional activities

Memberships

Fellow, Royal Astronomical Society, 2017 - on going.

Publications

Publications

Rumsey MS, Hawthorne FC, Spratt J, Najorka J, Montgomery W (2022) Bridgesite-(Ce), a new rare earth element sulfate, with a unique crystal structure, from Tynebottom Mine, Cumbria, United Kingdom. Mineralogical Magazine, 86 (4) : 570 - 576. doi: 10.1180/mgm.2022.41

Potiszil C, Montgomery W, Sephton MA (2021) Heterogeneity within refractory organic matter from CM2 Carbonaceous Chondrites: Evidence from Raman spectroscopy. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 574 : 117149 - 117149. doi: 10.1016/j.epsl.2021.117149

Reddyhoff T, Ewen JP, Deshpande P, Frogley MD, Welch MD, Montgomery W (2021) Macroscale Superlubricity and Polymorphism of Long-Chain n-Alcohols. ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, 13 (7) : 9239 - 9251. doi: 10.1021/acsami.0c21918

Montgomery W (2020) New Paths for Survivability of Organic Material in the Martian Subsurface. Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets, 125 (2) : doi: 10.1029/2019je006370

Montgomery W (null) New Paths for Survivability of Organic Material in the Martian Subsurface. null, doi: 10.1002/essoar.10501567.1

Montgomery W, Jaramillo EA, Royle SH, Kounaves SP, Schulze-Makuch D, Sephton MA (2019) Effects of Oxygen-Containing Salts on the Detection of Organic Biomarkers on Mars and in Terrestrial Analog Soils. Astrobiology, 19 (6) : 711 - 721. doi: 10.1089/ast.2018.1888

Montgomery W, Tse J, Yin K, Sephton M (null) The Effect of Pressure on the Prebiotic Carbon of the Early Solar System. Wiley : doi: 10.1002/essoar.10500673.1

Verchovsky AB, Hunt SA, Montgomery W, Sephton MA (2019) Reaction of Q to thermal metamorphism in parent bodies: Experimental simulation. Meteoritics & Planetary Science, 54 (3) : 558 - 572. doi: 10.1111/maps.13231

Montgomery W, Watson JS, Lewis JMT, Zeng H, Sephton MA (2018) Role of Minerals in Hydrogen Sulfide Generation during Steam-Assisted Recovery of Heavy Oil. Energy & Fuels, 32 (4) : 4651 - 4654. doi: 10.1021/acs.energyfuels.7b03566

Royle SH, Oberlin E, Watson JS, Montgomery W, Kounaves SP, Sephton MA (2018) Perchlorate-Driven Combustion of Organic Matter During Pyrolysis-Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry: Implications for Organic Matter Detection on Earth and Mars. Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets, 123 (7) : 1901 - 1909. doi: 10.1029/2018je005615

Schulze-Makuch D, Wagner D, Kounaves SP, Mangelsdorf K, Devine KG, de Vera J-P, Schmitt-Kopplin P, Grossart H-P, Parro V, Kaupenjohann M, Galy A, Schneider B, Airo A, Frösler J, Davila AF, Arens FL, Cáceres L, Cornejo FS, Carrizo D, Dartnell L, DiRuggiero J, Flury M, Ganzert L, Gessner MO, Grathwohl P, Guan L, Heinz J, Hess M, Keppler F, Maus D, McKay CP, Meckenstock RU, Montgomery W, Oberlin EA, Probst AJ, Sáenz JS, Sattler T, Schirmack J, Sephton MA, Schloter M, Uhl J, Valenzuela B, Vestergaard G, Wörmer L, Zamorano P (2018) Transitory microbial habitat in the hyperarid Atacama Desert. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 115 (11) : 2670 - 2675. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1714341115

Royle SH, Montgomery W, Kounaves SP, Sephton MA (2017) Effect of Hydration State of Martian Perchlorate Salts on Their Decomposition Temperatures During Thermal Extraction. Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets, 122 (12) : 2793 - 2802. doi: 10.1002/2017je005381

Potiszil C, Montgomery W, Sephton MA (2017) Effects of Pressure on Model Compounds of Meteorite Organic Matter. ACS Earth and Space Chemistry, 1 (8) : 475 - 482. doi: 10.1021/acsearthspacechem.7b00053

Montgomery W, Bromiley GD, Sephton MA (2016) The nature of organic records in impact excavated rocks on Mars. Scientific Reports, 6 (1) : doi: 10.1038/srep30947

Montgomery W, Potiszil C, Watson JS, Sephton MA (2016) Sporopollenin, a Natural Copolymer, is Robust under High Hydrostatic Pressure. Macromolecular Chemistry and Physics, 217 (22) : 2494 - 2500. doi: 10.1002/macp.201600142

Montgomery W, Sephton MA (null) PRESSURE EFFECTS IN POLYCYCLIC AROMATIC NITROGENATED HETEROCYCLES (PANHs): DIAGNOSTIC QUALITIES AND COSMOBAROMETRY POTENTIAL. The Astrophysical Journal, 819 (1) : 64 - 64. doi: 10.3847/0004-637x/819/1/64

Montgomery W, Sephton MA, Watson JS, Zeng H (2015) The Effects of Minerals on Heavy-Oil and Bitumen Chemistry When Recovered by Steam-Assisted Methods. JOURNAL OF CANADIAN PETROLEUM TECHNOLOGY, 54 (1) : 15 - 17.

Montgomery W, Sephton MA, Watson JS, Zeng H, Rees AC (2015) Minimising hydrogen sulphide generation during steam assisted production of heavy oil. Scientific Reports, 5 (1) : doi: 10.1038/srep08159

Montgomery W, Lerch P, Sephton MA (2014) In-situ vibrational optical rotatory dispersion of molecular organic crystals at high pressures. Analytica Chimica Acta, 842 : 51 - 56. doi: 10.1016/j.aca.2014.07.020

Montgomery W, Sephton MA, Watson JS, Zeng H (2014) The effects of minerals on heavy oil and bitumen chemistry when recovered using steam-assisted methods. Society of Petroleum Engineers - SPE Heavy Oil Conference Canada 2014, 1 : 414 - 420.

Montgomery W, Watson JS, Sephton MA (null) AN ORGANIC COSMO-BAROMETER: DISTINCT PRESSURE AND TEMPERATURE EFFECTS FOR METHYL SUBSTITUTED POLYCYCLIC AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS. The Astrophysical Journal, 784 (2) : 98 - 98. doi: 10.1088/0004-637x/784/2/98

Sephton MA, Lewis JMT, Watson JS, Montgomery W, Garnier C (2014) Perchlorate-induced combustion of organic matter with variable molecular weights: Implications for Mars missions. Geophysical Research Letters, 41 (21) : 7453 - 7460. doi: 10.1002/2014gl062109

Montgomery W, Court RW, Rees AC, Sephton MA (2013) High temperature reactions of water with heavy oil and bitumen: Insights into aquathermolysis chemistry during steam-assisted recovery. Fuel, 113 : 426 - 434. doi: 10.1016/j.fuel.2013.05.098

Montgomery W, Sephton MA, Court RW, Watson JS, Zeng H, Rees A (2013) Quantitative laboratory assessment of aquathermolysis chemistry during steam-assisted recovery of heavy oils and bitumen, with a focus on sulfur. Society of Petroleum Engineers - SPE Heavy Oil Conference Canada 2013, 1 : 249 - 260.

Verchovsky AB, Montgomery W, Sephton MA (2011) Q NOBLE GASES IN THE ORGUEIL Hf/HCl RESIDUE: A HIGH PRESSURE EXPERIMENT. METEORITICS & PLANETARY SCIENCE 46 : A244 - A244.

Montgomery W, Tuff J, Kohn SC, Jones RL (2011) Reactions between organic acids and montmorillonite clay under Earth-forming conditions. Chemical Geology, 283 (3-4) : 171 - 176. doi: 10.1016/j.chemgeo.2010.12.023

Welch MD, Montgomery W, Balan E, Lerch P (2012) Insights into the high-pressure behavior of kaolinite from infrared spectroscopy and quantum-mechanical calculations. Physics and Chemistry of Minerals, 39 (2) : 143 - 151. doi: 10.1007/s00269-011-0469-5

Jennings E, Montgomery W, Lerch P (2010) Stability of Coronene at High Temperature and Pressure. The Journal of Physical Chemistry B, 114 (48) : 15753 - 15758. doi: 10.1021/jp105020f

Montgomery W, Crowhurst JC, Zaug JM, Jeanloz R (2008) The Chemistry of Cyanuric Acid (H3C3N3O3) under High Pressure and High Temperature. The Journal of Physical Chemistry B, 112 (9) : 2644 - 2648. doi: 10.1021/jp073589y

Montgomery W, Crowhurst JC, Zaug JM, Jeanloz R (2008) The chemistry of cyanuric Acid (H3C3N 3O3) under high pressure and high temperature. Journal of Physical Chemistry B, 112 : 2644 - 2648.

Goncharov AF, Manaa MR, Zaug JM, Gee RH, Fried LE, Montgomery WB (null) Polymerization of Formic Acid under High Pressure. Physical Review Letters, 94 (6) : doi: 10.1103/physrevlett.94.065505

Montgomery W, Zaug JM, Howard WM, Goncharov AF, Crowhurst JC, Jeanloz R (2005) Melting Curve and High-Pressure Chemistry of Formic Acid to 8 GPa and 600 K. The Journal of Physical Chemistry B, 109 (41) : 19443 - 19447. doi: 10.1021/jp051967y

Zaug JM, Howard WM, Fried LE, Goncharov AF, Montgomery WB, Crowhurst JC (2005) The Equation of State and Chemistry at Extreme Conditions. Applications to Detonation Products. Chemistry at Extreme Conditions, 399 - 429.

Howard WM, Fried LE, Melius CF, Montgomery WB, Zaug JM, Goncharov AF (2004) Kinetics of formic acid at high pressure and temperature.. ABSTRACTS OF PAPERS OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY 228 : U277 - U277.

Zaug JM, Montgomery WB, Goncharov AF, Crowhurst JC, Howard WM, Fried LE, Meliuss CF (2004) FTIR studies of high-pressure formic acid reactions: Extreme chemistry decomposition kinetics.. ABSTRACTS OF PAPERS OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY 227 : U1221 - U1221.