Observations of gas-phase products from the nitrate radical-initiated oxidation of four monoterpenes

Chemical ionization mass spectrometry with nitrate reagent ion (NO3− CIMS) was used to investigate the products of nitrate radical (NO3) initiated oxidation of four monoterpenes in laboratory chamber experiments. α-Pinene, β-pinene, Δ-3-carene, and α-thujene were studied. The major gas-phase species produced in each system were distinctly different, showing the effect of monoterpene structure on the oxidation mechanism and further elucidated the contributions of these species to particle formation and growth. By comparing groupings of products based on ratios of elements in the general formula CwHxNyOz, the relative importance of specific mechanistic pathways (fragmentation, termination, radical rearrangement) can be assessed for each system. Additionally, the measured time series of the highly oxidized reaction products provide insights into the ratio of relative production and loss rates of the high molecular weight products of the Δ-3-carene system. Measured effective O : C ratio of reaction products were anti-correlated to new particle formation intensity and number concentration for each system; however, monomer : dimer ratio of products was positively correlated. Gas phase yields of oxidation products measured by NO3− CIMS correlated with particle number concentrations for each monoterpene system, with the exception of α-thujene, which produced a considerable amount of low volatility products but no particles. Species-resolved wall loss was measured with NO3− CIMS and found to be highly variable among oxidized reaction products in our stainless steel chamber.

Different colloidal particle formation process between conjugated polymer and unmodified C60 in preparation of suspension for electrophoretic deposition by reprecipitation method

Electrophoretic deposition provides material-efficient film formation on large area electrodes. In this study, it has been found that there is a significant difference in the colloidal particle formation process between a thiophene-based copolymer poly(3-octylthiophene- 2,5-diyl-co-3-decyloxythiophene-2,5-diyl) (POT-co-DOT) and C60 in preparation of suspension for electrophoretic deposition by reprecipitation method. This difference is attributed to the difference between low molecular weight materials with specific molecular weight and polymers with molecular weight distribution. The composition of POT-co-DOT:C60 composite film by electrophoretic deposition has also been estimated.

Measurement report: New particle formation characteristics at an urban and a mountain station in northern China

Atmospheric new particle formation (NPF) events have attracted increasing attention for their contribution to the global aerosol number budget and therefore their effects on climate, air quality and human health. NPF events are regarded as a regional phenomenon, occurring over a large area. Most observations of NPF events in Beijing and its vicinity were conducted in populated areas, whereas observations of NPF events on mountaintops with low anthropogenic emissions are still rare in China. The spatial variation of NPF event intensity has not been investigated in detail by incorporating both urban areas and mountain measurements in Beijing. Here, we provide NPF event characteristics in summer 2018 and 2019 at urban Beijing and a comparison of NPF event characteristics – NPF event frequency, formation rate and growth rate – by comparing an urban Beijing site and a background mountain site separated by ∼80 km from 14 June to 14 July 2019, as well as giving insights into the connection between both locations. During parallel measurements at urban Beijing and mountain background areas, although the median condensation sink during the first 2 h of the common NPF events was around 0.01 s−1 at both sites, there were notable differences in formation rates between the two locations (median of 5.42 cm−3 s−1 at the urban site and 1.13 cm−3 s−1 at the mountain site during the first 2 h of common NPF events). In addition, the growth rates in the 7–15 nm range for common NPF events at the urban site (median of 7.6 nm h−1) were slightly higher than those at the mountain site (median of 6.5 nm h−1). To understand whether the observed events were connected, we compared air mass trajectories as well as meteorological conditions at both stations. Favorable conditions for the occurrence of regional NPF events were largely affected by air mass transport. Overall, our results demonstrate a clear inhomogeneity of regional NPF within a distance of ∼100 km, possibly due to the discretely distributed emission sources.

Characteristics of Aerosol Size Distributions and New Particle Formation Events at Delhi: An Urban Location in the Indo-Gangetic Plains

Accurate information about aerosol particle size distribution and its variation under different meteorological conditions are essential for reducing uncertainties related to aerosol-cloud-climate interaction processes. New particle formation (NPF) and the coagulation significantly affect the aerosol size distribution. Here we study the monthly and seasonal variability of aerosol particle size distribution at Delhi from December 2011 to January 2013. Analysis of aerosol particle size distribution using WRAS-GRIMM reveals that aerosol particle number concentration is highest during the post monsoon season owing to the effect of transported crop residue and biomass burning aerosols. Diurnal variations in number concentration show a bimodal pattern with two Aitken mode peaks in all the seasons. Monthly volume size distribution also shows bi-modal distribution with distinct coarse and fine modes. NPF events are observed less frequently in Delhi. Out of 222 days of WRAS data, only 17 NPF events have been observed, with higher NPF frequency during summer season. Growth rate of the nucleation mode of NPF events vary in the range 1.88–21.66 nm/h with a mean value of ∼8.45 ± 5.73 nm/h. It is found that during NPF events the Aitken and nucleation mode particles contribute more to the number concentration. Simultaneous measurement of UV flux and particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5) have also been done along with particle number size distribution measurement to understand the possible mechanisms for NPF events over the study location.

Diurnal evolution of negative atmospheric ions above the boreal forest: From ground level to the free troposphere

At SMEAR II research station in Hyytiälä, located in the Finnish boreal forest, the process of new particle formation and the role of ions has been investigated for almost 20 years near the ground and at canopy level. However, above SMEAR II, the vertical distribution and diurnal variation of these different atmospheric ions are poorly characterized. In this study, we assess the atmospheric ion composition in the stable boundary layer, residual layer, mixing layer and free troposphere, and the 5 evolution of these atmospheric ions due to photochemistry and turbulent mixing through the day. To measure the vertical profile of atmospheric ions, we developed a tailored setup for online mass spectrometric measurements, capable of being deployed in a Cessna 172 with minimal modifications. Simultaneously, instruments dedicated to aerosol properties measured in a second Cessna. We conducted a total of 16 measurement flights in May 2017, during the spring, which is the most active new particle formation season. A flight day typically consisted of three distinct flights through the day (dawn, morning and afternoon) to 10 observe the diurnal variation and at different altitudes (from 100 m to 3200 m above ground), and to capture the boundary layer development from stable boundary layer, residual layer to mixing layer, and the free troposphere. Our observations showed that the ion composition is distinctly different in each layer and depends on the air mass origin and time of the day. Before sunrise, the layers are separated from each other and have their own ion chemistry. We observed that the ions present within the stable layer are of the same composition as the ions measured at the canopy level. During daytime when the mixing layer evolved and the compounds are vertically mixed, we observed that highly oxidised organic molecules are distributed to the top of the boundary layer. The ion composition in the residual layer varies with each day, showing similarities with either the stable boundary layer or the free troposphere. Finally, within the free troposphere, we detected a variety of carboxylic acids and ions that are likely containing halogens, originating from the Arctic Sea.