Chemical Analysis of Individual Alkali-Containing Aerosol Particles: Design and Performance of a Surface Ionization Particle Beam Mass Spectrometer

Abstract. A new method for size resolved chemical analysis of nucleation mode aerosol particles (size range from ~ 10 to ~ 30 nm) is presented. The Thermal Desorption Differential Mobility Analyzer (TD-DMA) uses an online, discontinuous principle. The particles are charged, a specific size is selected by differential mobility analysis and they are collected on a filament by electrostatic precipitation. Subsequently, the sampled mass is evaporated in a clean carrier gas and analyzed by a chemical ionization mass spectrometer. Gas phase measurements are performed with the same mass spectrometer during the sampling of particles. The characterization shows reproducible results, with a particle size resolution of 1.19 and the transmission efficiency for 15 nm particles being slightly above 50 %. The signal from the evaporation of a test substance can be detected starting from 0.01 ng and shows a linear response in the mass spectrometer. Instrument operation in the range of pg/m3 is demonstrated by an example measurement of 15 nm particles produced by nucleation from dimethylamine, sulfuric acid and water.

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Characterization of a thermodenuder- particle beam mass spectrometer system for the study of organic aerosol volatility and composition

Atmospheric Measurement Techniques Discussions ◽

10.5194/amtd-1-21-2008 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 1 (1) ◽

pp. 21-65 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

A. E. Faulhaber ◽

B. M. Thomas ◽

J. L. Jimenez ◽

J. T. Jayne ◽

D. R. Worsnop ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mass Spectrum ◽

Vapor Pressure ◽

Pressure Distribution ◽

Mass Spectrometer ◽

Aerosol Particles ◽

Organic Aerosol ◽

Particle Beam ◽

Basis Set ◽

Aerosol Mass ◽

Dependent Mass

Abstract. This paper describes the development and evaluation of a method for measuring the vapor pressure distribution and volatility-dependent mass spectrum of organic aerosol particles using a thermodenuder-particle beam mass spectrometer. The method is well suited for use with the widely used Aerodyne Aerosol Mass Spectrometer (AMS) and other quantitative aerosol mass spectrometers. The data that can be obtained are valuable for modeling organic gas-particle partitioning and for gaining improved composition information from aerosol mass spectra. The method is based on an empirically determined relationship between the thermodenuder temperature at which 50% of the organic aerosol mass evaporates (T50) and the organic component vapor pressure at 25°C (P25). This approach avoids the need for complex modeling of aerosol evaporation, which normally requires detailed information on aerosol composition and physical properties. T50 was measured for a variety of monodisperse, single-component organic aerosols with known P25 values and the results used to create a log P25 vs. T50 calibration curve. Experiments and simulations were used to estimate the uncertainties in P25 introduced by variations in particle size and mass concentration as well as mixing with other components. A vapor pressure distribution and volatility-dependent mass spectrum were then measured for laboratory-generated secondary organic aerosol particles. Vaporization profiles from this method can easily be converted to a volatility basis set representation, which shows the distribution of mass vs. saturation concentration and the gas-particle partitioning of aerosol material. The experiments and simulations indicate that this method can be used to estimate organic aerosol component vapor pressures to within approximately an order of magnitude and that useful mass-spectral separation based on volatility can be achieved.

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Development and characterization of an ion trap mass spectrometer for the on-line chemical analysis of atmospheric aerosol particles

International Journal of Mass Spectrometry ◽

10.1016/j.ijms.2007.05.007 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 265 (1) ◽

pp. 30-39 ◽

Cited By ~ 13

Author(s):

Andreas Kürten ◽

Joachim Curtius ◽

Frank Helleis ◽

Edward R. Lovejoy ◽

Stephan Borrmann

Keyword(s):

Chemical Analysis ◽

Mass Spectrometer ◽

Atmospheric Aerosol ◽

Ion Trap ◽

Aerosol Particles ◽

Ion Trap Mass Spectrometer ◽

Atmospheric Aerosol Particles ◽

On Line

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CHEMICAL ANALYSIS OF DIESEL NANOPARTICLES USING A NANO-DMA/THERMAL DESORPTION PARTICLE BEAM MASS SPECTROMETER

Journal of Aerosol Science ◽

10.1016/s0021-8502(21)00105-1 ◽

2001 ◽

Vol 32 ◽

pp. 221-222

Author(s):

H.J. TOBIAS ◽

D.E. BEVING ◽

P.J. ZIEMANN ◽

H. SAKURAI ◽

M. ZUK ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Chemical Analysis ◽

Mass Spectrometer ◽

Thermal Desorption ◽

Particle Beam

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On-Line Chemical Analysis of Individual Alkali-Containing Aerosol Particles by Surface Ionization Combined with Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry

Aerosol Science and Technology ◽

10.1080/02786820902825105 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 43 (7) ◽

pp. 653-661 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Maria Svane ◽

Torbjörn L. Gustafsson ◽

Borka Kovacevik ◽

Jun Noda ◽

Patrik U. Andersson ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mass Spectrometry ◽

Chemical Analysis ◽

Aerosol Particles ◽

Time Of Flight ◽

Surface Ionization ◽

Flight Mass Spectrometry ◽

On Line

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Chemical Analysis of Diesel Engine Nanoparticles Using a Nano-DMA/Thermal Desorption Particle Beam Mass Spectrometer

Environmental Science & Technology ◽

10.1021/es0016654 ◽

2001 ◽

Vol 35 (11) ◽

pp. 2233-2243 ◽

Cited By ~ 189

Author(s):

Herbert J. Tobias ◽

Derek E. Beving ◽

Paul J. Ziemann ◽

Hiromu Sakurai ◽

Miriam Zuk ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Diesel Engine ◽

Chemical Analysis ◽

Mass Spectrometer ◽

Thermal Desorption ◽

Particle Beam

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Characterization of a thermodenuder-particle beam mass spectrometer system for the study of organic aerosol volatility and composition

Atmospheric Measurement Techniques ◽

10.5194/amt-2-15-2009 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 2 (1) ◽

pp. 15-31 ◽

Cited By ~ 69

Author(s):

A. E. Faulhaber ◽

B. M. Thomas ◽

J. L. Jimenez ◽

J. T. Jayne ◽

D. R. Worsnop ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mass Spectrum ◽

Vapor Pressure ◽

Pressure Distribution ◽

Mass Spectrometer ◽

Aerosol Particles ◽

Organic Aerosol ◽

Particle Beam ◽

Basis Set ◽

Aerosol Mass ◽

Dependent Mass

Abstract. This paper describes the development and evaluation of a method for measuring the vapor pressure distribution and volatility-dependent mass spectrum of organic aerosol particles using a thermodenuder-particle beam mass spectrometer. The method is well suited for use with the widely used Aerodyne Aerosol Mass Spectrometer (AMS) and other quantitative aerosol mass spectrometers. The data that can be obtained are valuable for modeling organic gas-particle partitioning and for gaining improved composition information from aerosol mass spectra. The method is based on an empirically determined relationship between the thermodenuder temperature at which 50% of the organic aerosol mass evaporates (T50) and the organic component vapor pressure at 25°C (P25). This approach avoids the need for complex modeling of aerosol evaporation, which normally requires detailed information on aerosol composition and physical properties. T50 was measured for a variety of monodisperse, single-component organic aerosols with known P25 values and the results used to create a logP25 vs. T50 calibration curve. Experiments and simulations were used to estimate the uncertainties in P25 introduced by variations in particle size and mass concentration as well as mixing with other components. A vapor pressure distribution and volatility-dependent mass spectrum were then measured for laboratory-generated secondary organic aerosol particles. Vaporization profiles from this method can easily be converted to a volatility basis set representation, which shows the distribution of mass vs. saturation concentration and the gas-particle partitioning of aerosol material. The experiments and simulations indicate that this method can be used to estimate organic aerosol component vapor pressures to within approximately an order of magnitude and that useful mass-spectral separation based on volatility can be achieved.

Download Full-text