Evidence for a kinetically controlled burying mechanism for growth of high viscosity secondary organic aerosol

2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 66-83 ◽  
Author(s):  
Allison C. Vander Wall ◽  
Véronique Perraud ◽  
Lisa M. Wingen ◽  
Barbara J. Finlayson-Pitts
Keyword(s):  
Secondary Organic Aerosol ◽  
Organic Aerosol ◽  
High Viscosity ◽  
Particle Formation ◽  
Organic Nitrates ◽  
Equilibrium Partitioning ◽  
Kinetically Controlled

The incorporation of organic nitrates into viscous secondary organic aerosol during particle formation is enhanced relative to expected equilibrium partitioning, and is best described by a kinetically controlled “burying” mechanism.

scholarly journals Molecular composition and volatility of isoprene photochemical oxidation secondary organic aerosol under low and high NO<sub>x</sub> conditions

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emma L. D'Ambro ◽  
Ben H. Lee ◽  
Jiumeng Liu ◽  
John E. Shilling ◽  
Cassandra J. Gaston ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Molecular Weight ◽  
Secondary Organic Aerosol ◽  
Organic Aerosol ◽  
Group Contribution ◽  
Molecular Composition ◽  
Photochemical Oxidation ◽  
Organic Nitrates ◽  
Ionization Mass ◽  
Equilibrium Partitioning ◽  
Group Contribution Methods

Abstract. We present measurements of secondary organic aerosol (SOA) formation from isoprene photochemical oxidation formed in an environmental simulation chamber using dry neutral seed particles, thereby suppressing the role of acid catalyzed multiphase chemistry, at a variety of oxidant conditions. A high-resolution time-of-flight chemical ionization mass spectrometer (HRToF-CIMS) utilizing iodide-adduct ionization coupled to the Filter Inlet for Gases and AEROsols (FIGAERO) allowed for the simultaneous online sampling of the gas and particle composition. Under high HO2 and low NO conditions, highly oxygenated (O : C ≥ 1) C5 compounds were major components (~ 50 %) of the SOA. The overall composition of the SOA evolved both as a function of time and as a function of input NO concentrations. As the level of input NO increased, organic nitrates increased in both the gas- and particle-phases, but the dominant non-nitrate particle-phase components monotonically decreased. We use comparisons of measured and predicted gas-particle partitioning of individual components to assess the validity of literature-based group-contribution methods for estimating saturation vapor concentrations. While there is evidence for equilibrium partitioning being achieved on the chamber residence time scale (5.2 hours) for some individual components, significant errors in group-contribution methods are revealed. In addition, > 30 % of the SOA mass, detected as low-molecular weight compounds, cannot be reconciled with equilibrium partitioning. These compounds desorb from the FIGAERO at unexpectedly high temperatures given their molecular composition, indicative of thermal decomposition of effectively lower volatility components, likely larger molecular weight oligomers. We use these insights from the laboratory and observations of the same SOA components made during the Southern Oxidant and Aerosol Study (SOAS) to assess the importance of isoprene photooxidation as a local SOA source.

scholarly journals Molecular composition and volatility of isoprene photochemical oxidation secondary organic aerosol under low- and high-NO<sub><i>x</i></sub> conditions

2017 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 159-174 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emma L. D'Ambro ◽  
Ben H. Lee ◽  
Jiumeng Liu ◽  
John E. Shilling ◽  
Cassandra J. Gaston ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Molecular Weight ◽  
Secondary Organic Aerosol ◽  
Organic Aerosol ◽  
Group Contribution ◽  
Molecular Composition ◽  
Photochemical Oxidation ◽  
Organic Nitrates ◽  
Ionization Mass ◽  
Equilibrium Partitioning ◽  
Group Contribution Methods

Abstract. We present measurements of secondary organic aerosol (SOA) formation from isoprene photochemical oxidation in an environmental simulation chamber at a variety of oxidant conditions and using dry neutral seed particles to suppress acid-catalyzed multiphase chemistry. A high-resolution time-of-flight chemical ionization mass spectrometer (HR-ToF-CIMS) utilizing iodide-adduct ionization coupled to the Filter Inlet for Gases and Aerosols (FIGAERO) allowed for simultaneous online sampling of the gas and particle composition. Under high-HO2 and low-NO conditions, highly oxygenated (O : C  ≥  1) C5 compounds were major components (∼ 50 %) of SOA. The SOA composition and effective volatility evolved both as a function of time and as a function of input NO concentrations. Organic nitrates increased in both the gas and particle phases as input NO increased, but the dominant non-nitrate particle-phase components monotonically decreased. We use comparisons of measured and predicted gas-particle partitioning of individual components to assess the validity of literature-based group-contribution methods for estimating saturation vapor concentrations. While there is evidence for equilibrium partitioning being achieved on the chamber residence timescale (5.2 h) for some individual components, significant errors in group-contribution methods are revealed. In addition, > 30 % of the SOA mass, detected as low-molecular-weight semivolatile compounds, cannot be reconciled with equilibrium partitioning. These compounds desorb from the FIGAERO at unexpectedly high temperatures given their molecular composition, which is indicative of thermal decomposition of effectively lower-volatility components such as larger molecular weight oligomers.

scholarly journals α-Pinene secondary organic aerosol yields increase at higher relative humidity and low NO<sub><i>x</i></sub> conditions

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lisa Stirnweis ◽  
Claudia Marcolli ◽  
Josef Dommen ◽  
Peter Barmet ◽  
Carla Frege ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Liquid Phase ◽  
Relative Humidity ◽  
Secondary Organic Aerosol ◽  
Organic Aerosol ◽  
Liquid Water Content ◽  
Strong Increase ◽  
Chemical Compositions ◽  
Scanning Mobility Particle Sizer ◽  
Equilibrium Partitioning ◽  
Phase Partitioning

Abstract. Secondary organic aerosol (SOA) yields from the photooxidation of α-pinene were investigated in smog chamber (SC) experiments at low (23–29 %) and high (60–69 %) relative humidity (RH), various NOx/VOC ratios (0.04–3.8) and with different aerosol seed chemical compositions (acidic to neutralized sulfate-containing or hydrophobic organic). A combination of a scanning mobility particle sizer and an Aerodyne high resolution time-of-flight aerosol mass spectrometer was used to determine SOA mass concentration and chemical composition. We present wall-loss-corrected yields as a function of absorptive masses combining organics and the bound liquid water content. High RH increased SOA yields by up to six times (1.5–6.4) compared to low RH. The yields at low NOx/VOC ratios were in general higher compared to yields at high NOx/VOC ratios. This NOx dependence follows the same trend as seen in previous studies for α-pinene SOA. A novel approach of data evaluation using volatility distributions derived from experimental data served as basis for thermodynamic phase partitioning calculations of model mixtures in this study. These calculations predict liquid-liquid phase separation into organic-rich and electrolyte phases. At low NOx conditions, equilibrium partitioning between the gas and liquid phases can explain most of the increase in SOA yields at high RH. This is indicated by the model results, when in addition to the α-pinene photooxidation products described in the literature, more fragmented and oxidized organic compounds are added to the model mixtures. This increase is driven by both the increase in the absorptive mass due to the additional particulate water and the solution non-ideality described by the activity coefficients. In contrast, at high NOx, equilibrium partitioning alone could not explain the strong increase in the yields with increased RH. This suggests that other processes including the reactive uptake of semi-volatile species into the liquid phase may occur and be enhanced at higher RH, especially for compounds formed under high NOx conditions such as carbonyls.

scholarly journals Low-volatility compounds contribute significantly to isoprene secondary organic aerosol (SOA) under high-NO<sub><i>x</i></sub> conditions

2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (11) ◽  
pp. 7255-7278 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rebecca H. Schwantes ◽  
Sophia M. Charan ◽  
Kelvin H. Bates ◽  
Yuanlong Huang ◽  
Tran B. Nguyen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ring Opening ◽  
Secondary Organic Aerosol ◽  
Inorganic Ions ◽  
Organic Aerosol ◽  
Organic Nitrates ◽  
Glyceric Acid ◽  
Mass Yield ◽  
Atmospheric Conditions ◽  
Ring Opening Reactions ◽  
The Impact

Abstract. Recent advances in our knowledge of the gas-phase oxidation of isoprene, the impact of chamber walls on secondary organic aerosol (SOA) mass yields, and aerosol measurement analysis techniques warrant reevaluating SOA yields from isoprene. In particular, SOA from isoprene oxidation under high-NOx conditions forms via two major pathways: (1) low-volatility nitrates and dinitrates (LV pathway) and (2) hydroxymethyl-methyl-α-lactone (HMML) reaction on a surface or the condensed phase of particles to form 2-methyl glyceric acid and its oligomers (2MGA pathway). These SOA production pathways respond differently to reaction conditions. Past chamber experiments generated SOA with varying contributions from these two unique pathways, leading to results that are difficult to interpret. This study examines the SOA yields from these two pathways independently, which improves the interpretation of previous results and provides further understanding of the relevance of chamber SOA yields to the atmosphere and regional or global modeling. Results suggest that low-volatility nitrates and dinitrates produce significantly more aerosol than previously thought; the experimentally measured SOA mass yield from the LV pathway is ∼0.15. Sufficient seed surface area at the start of the reaction is needed to limit the effects of vapor wall losses of low-volatility compounds and accurately measure the complete SOA mass yield. Under dry conditions, substantial amounts of SOA are formed from HMML ring-opening reactions with inorganic ions and HMML organic oligomerization processes. However, the lactone organic oligomerization reactions are suppressed under more atmospherically relevant humidity levels, where hydration of the lactone is more competitive. This limits the SOA formation potential from the 2MGA pathway to HMML ring-opening reactions with water or inorganic ions under typical atmospheric conditions. The isoprene SOA mass yield from the LV pathway measured in this work is significantly higher than previous studies have reported, suggesting that low-volatility compounds such as organic nitrates and dinitrates may contribute to isoprene SOA under high-NOx conditions significantly more than previously thought and thus deserve continued study.

scholarly journals Enhancement of Secondary Organic Aerosol Formation and its Oxidation State by SO<sub>2</sub> during Photooxidation of 2-Methoxyphenol

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Changgeng Liu ◽  
Tianzeng Chen ◽  
Yongchun Liu ◽  
Jun Liu ◽  
Hong He ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Oxidation State ◽  
Secondary Organic Aerosol ◽  
Organic Aerosol ◽  
Wood Smoke ◽  
Organic Nitrates ◽  
Carbon Oxidation ◽  
Formation Processes ◽  
Aerosol Formation ◽  
Product Model ◽  
Seed Particles

Abstract. 2-Methoxyphenol (guaiacol) is derived from the lignin pyrolysis and taken as a potential tracer for wood smoke emissions. In this work, the effect of SO2 at atmospheric levels (0–56 ppb) on secondary organic aerosol (SOA) formation and its oxidation state during guaiacol photooxidation was investigated in the presence of various inorganic seed particles (NaCl and (NH4)2SO4). Without SO2 and seed particles, SOA yields (9.46–26.37 %) obtained at different guaiacol concentration (138.83–2197.36 μg m−3) could be well expressed by a one-product model. The presence of SO2 resulted in enhancing SOA yield by 14.05–23.66 %. With (NH4)2SO4 and NaCl seed particles, SOA yield was enhanced by 23.06 % and 29.57 %, respectively, which further increased significantly to 29.78–53.47 % in the presence of SO2, suggesting that SO2 and seed particles have a synergetic contribution to SOA formation. It should be noted that SO2 was found to be in favor of increasing the carbon oxidation state (OSC) of SOA, indicating that the functionalization reaction should be more dominant than oligomerization reaction. In addition, the average N/C ratio of SOA was 0.037, which revealed that NOx participated in the photooxidation process, consequently leading to the formation of organic nitrates. The experimental results demonstrate the importance of SO2 on the formation processes of SOA and organosulfates, and also are helpful to further understand SOA formation from the atmospheric photooxidation of guaiacol and its subsequent impacts on air quality and climate.

Is secondary organic aerosol yield governed by kinetic factors rather than equilibrium partitioning?

2018 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 245-252 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chen Wang ◽  
Frank Wania ◽  
Kai-Uwe Goss
Keyword(s):  
Secondary Organic Aerosol ◽  
Organic Aerosol ◽  
Equilibrium Partitioning ◽  
Kinetic Processes ◽  
Atmospherically Relevant

The concept of differential SOA yield and a consideration of kinetic processes are important when modelling SOA formation under atmospherically relevant conditions.

scholarly journals Organic nitrate and secondary organic aerosol yield from NO<sub>3</sub> oxidation of β-pinene evaluated using a gas-phase kinetics/aerosol partitioning model

2009 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 1431-1449 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. L. Fry ◽  
A. Kiendler-Scharr ◽  
A. W. Rollins ◽  
P. J. Wooldridge ◽  
S. S. Brown ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Secondary Organic Aerosol ◽  
Oxidation Mechanism ◽  
Organic Aerosol ◽  
Anthropogenic Source ◽  
Organic Nitrate ◽  
Organic Nitrates ◽  
Gas Phase Kinetics ◽  
Low Concentrations ◽  
Dry Conditions ◽  
Highly Correlated

Abstract. The yields of organic nitrates and of secondary organic aerosol (SOA) particle formation were measured for the reaction NO3+β-pinene under dry and humid conditions in the atmosphere simulation chamber SAPHIR at Research Center Jülich. These experiments were conducted at low concentrations of NO3 (NO3+N2O5<10 ppb) and β-pinene (peak~15 ppb), with no seed aerosol. SOA formation was observed to be prompt and substantial (~50% mass yield under both dry conditions and at 60% RH), and highly correlated with organic nitrate formation. The observed gas/aerosol partitioning of organic nitrates can be simulated using an absorptive partitioning model to derive an estimated vapor pressure of the condensing nitrate species of pvap~5×10−6 Torr (6.67×10−4 Pa), which constrains speculation about the oxidation mechanism and chemical identity of the organic nitrate. Once formed the SOA in this system continues to evolve, resulting in measurable aerosol volume decrease with time. The observations of high aerosol yield from NOx-dependent oxidation of monoterpenes provide an example of a significant anthropogenic source of SOA from biogenic hydrocarbon precursors. Estimates of the NO3+β-pinene SOA source strength for California and the globe indicate that NO3 reactions with monoterpenes are likely an important source (0.5–8% of the global total) of organic aerosol on regional and global scales.

scholarly journals Secondary organic aerosol production from pinanediol, a semi-volatile surrogate for first-generation oxidation products of monoterpenes

2018 ◽  
Vol 18 (9) ◽  
pp. 6171-6186 ◽  
Author(s):  
Penglin Ye ◽  
Yunliang Zhao ◽  
Wayne K. Chuang ◽  
Allen L. Robinson ◽  
Neil M. Donahue
Keyword(s):  
Organic Compounds ◽  
First Generation ◽  
Secondary Organic Aerosol ◽  
Organic Aerosol ◽  
Particle Formation ◽  
Oxidation Products ◽  
Basis Set ◽  
New Particle Formation ◽  
Aerosol Mass ◽  
Volatile Precursor

Abstract. We have investigated the production of secondary organic aerosol (SOA) from pinanediol (PD), a precursor chosen as a semi-volatile surrogate for first-generation oxidation products of monoterpenes. Observations at the CLOUD facility at CERN have shown that oxidation of organic compounds such as PD can be an important contributor to new-particle formation. Here we focus on SOA mass yields and chemical composition from PD photo-oxidation in the CMU smog chamber. To determine the SOA mass yields from this semi-volatile precursor, we had to address partitioning of both the PD and its oxidation products to the chamber walls. After correcting for these losses, we found OA loading dependent SOA mass yields from PD oxidation that ranged between 0.1 and 0.9 for SOA concentrations between 0.02 and 20 µg m−3, these mass yields are 2–3 times larger than typical of much more volatile monoterpenes. The average carbon oxidation state measured with an aerosol mass spectrometer was around −0.7. We modeled the chamber data using a dynamical two-dimensional volatility basis set and found that a significant fraction of the SOA comprises low-volatility organic compounds that could drive new-particle formation and growth, which is consistent with the CLOUD observations.

scholarly journals Temperature and VOC concentration as controlling factors for chemical composition of alpha-pinene derived secondary organic aerosol

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Louise N. Jensen ◽  
Manjula R. Canagaratna ◽  
Kasper Kristensen ◽  
Lauriane L. J. Quéléver ◽  
Bernadette Rosati ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Chemical Composition ◽  
Organic Acids ◽  
Organic Acid ◽  
Elemental Composition ◽  
Secondary Organic Aerosol ◽  
Organic Aerosol ◽  
Particle Formation ◽  
Composition Analysis ◽  
Oxidation Level ◽  
The Individual

Abstract. This work investigates the individual and combined effects of temperature and volatile organic compound precursor concentration on the chemical composition of particles formed in the dark ozonolysis of α-pinene. All experiments were conducted in a 5 m3 Teflon chamber at an initial ozone concentration of 100 ppb and α-pinene concentrations of 10 ppb and 50 ppb, respectively, at constant temperatures of 20 °C, 0 °C, or −15 °C, and at changing temperatures (ramps) from −15 °C to 20 °C and from 20 °C to −15 °C. The chemical composition of the particles was probed using a High-Resolution Time-of-Flight Aerosol Mass Spectrometer (HR-ToF-AMS). A four-factor solution of a Positive Matrix Factorization (PMF) analysis of combined HR-ToF-AMS data from experiments conducted under different conditions is presented. The PMF analysis as well as elemental composition analysis of individual experiments show that secondary organic aerosol particles with the highest oxidation level are formed from the lowest initial α-pinene concentration (10 ppb) and at the highest temperature (20 °C). Higher initial α-pinene concentration (50 ppb) and/or lower temperature (0 °C or −15 °C) result in lower oxidation level of the molecules contained in the particles. With respect to carbon oxidation state, particles formed at 0 °C are more comparable to particles formed at −15 °C than to those formed at 20 °C. A remarkable observation is that changes in temperature during or after particle formation result in only minor changes in the elemental composition of the particles. The temperature at which aerosol particle formation is initiated thus seems to be a critical parameter for the particle elemental composition. Comparison of the AMS derived estimates of the content of organic acids in the particles based on m/z 44 in the spectra show good agreement with results from off-line molecular analysis of particle filter samples collected from the same experiments. While higher temperatures are associated with a decrease in the absolute mass concentrations of organic acids (R-COOH) and organic acid functionalities (-COOH), the organic acid functionalities account for an increasing fraction of the measured SOA mass at higher temperatures.

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