The study of reaction intermediates and products as well as their rates of transformation are of fundamental interest to a wide variety of Air Force-relevant materials solutions. One example is per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), the so-called "forever" chemicals are dangerous contaminants that persist in the environment. This happens due to the high strength and stability of the C-F bond. Thus, there is a great need to develop state-of-the-art methods to understand and expedite the degradation of these molecules. We propose to combine surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) studies to detect ultralow concentrations of PFAS molecules, and combine with photocatalysis to irradiate (UV as well as visible light) and cleave the PFAS molecules into their atomic constituents. Another example is to study the functionalization of inorganic nanocrystals and nanomaterials such as carbon nanotubes and graphene in flow chemical processes. These studies can be enabled by performing in situ spectroscopy through flow cells. In each case, the reaction rates, intermediates and products will be characterized in situ with SERS in addition to complementary techniques such as mass spectrometry, NMR, FTIR and UV-Vis spectroscopy. Finally, this research opportunity is also open to incorporate machine learning algorithms that utilize the in situ spectral feedback to improve and optimize the process under study.