Abstract. Acid-catalyzed multiphase chemistry of epoxydiols formed from isoprene oxidation yields the most abundant organosulfates (i.e., methyltetrol sulfates) detected in atmospheric fine aerosols in the boundary layer. This potentially determines the physicochemical properties of fine aerosols in isoprene-rich regions. However, chemical stability of these organosulfates remains unclear. As a result, we investigate the heterogeneous oxidation of aerosols consisting of potassium 3-methyltetrol sulfate ester (C5H11SO7K) by gas-phase hydroxyl (OH) radicals at a relative humidity (RH) of 70.8 %. Real-time molecular composition of the aerosols is obtained by using a Direct Analysis in Real Time (DART) ionization source coupled to a high-resolution mass spectrometer. Aerosol mass spectra reveal that 3-methyltetrol sulfate ester can be detected as its anionic form (C5H11SO7-) via direct ionization in the negative ionization mode. Kinetic measurements reveal that the effective heterogeneous OH rate constant is measured to be 4.74±0.2×10-13 cm3 molecule−1 s−1 with a chemical lifetime against OH oxidation of 16.2±0.3 days, assuming an OH radical concentration of 1.5×106 molecules cm−3. Comparison of this lifetime with those against other aerosol removal processes, such as dry and wet deposition, suggests that 3-methyltetrol sulfate ester is likely to be chemically stable over atmospheric timescales. Aerosol mass spectra only show an increase in the intensity of bisulfate ion (HSO4-) after oxidation, suggesting the importance of fragmentation processes. Overall, potassium 3-methyltetrol sulfate ester likely decomposes to form volatile fragmentation products and aqueous-phase sulfate radial anion (SO4⚫-). SO4⚫- subsequently undergoes intermolecular hydrogen abstraction to form HSO4-. These processes appear to explain the compositional evolution of 3-methyltetrol sulfate ester during heterogeneous OH oxidation.
Abstract. Organic compounds residing near the surface of atmospheric aerosol particles are exposed to chemical reactions initiated by gas-phase oxidants, such as hydroxyl (OH) radicals. Aqueous droplets composed of inorganic salts and organic compounds can undergo phase separation into two liquid phases, depending on aerosol composition and relative humidity (RH). Such phase behavior can govern the surface characteristics and morphology of the aerosols, which in turn affect the heterogeneous reactivity of organic compounds toward gas-phase oxidants. In this work, we used an aerosol flow tube reactor coupled with an atmospheric pressure ionization source (direct analysis in real time) and a high-resolution mass spectrometer to investigate how phase separation in model aqueous droplets containing an inorganic salt (ammonium sulfate, AS) and an organic acid (3-methylglutaric acid, 3-MGA) with an organic-to-inorganic dry mass ratio (OIR) of 1 alters the heterogeneous OH reactivity. At high RH, 3-MGA/AS aerosols were aqueous droplets with a single liquid phase. When the RH decreased, aqueous 3-MGA/AS droplets underwent phase separation at ∼75 % RH. Once the droplets were phase-separated, they exhibited either a core–shell, partially engulfed or a transition from core–shell to partially engulfed structure, with an organic-rich outer phase and an inorganic-rich inner phase. The kinetics, quantified by an effective heterogenous OH rate constant, was found to increase gradually from 1.01±0.02×10-12 to 1.73±0.02×10-12 cm3 molec.−1 s−1 when the RH decreased from 88 % to 55 %. The heterogeneous reactivity of phase-separated droplets is slightly higher than that of aqueous droplets with a single liquid phase. This could be explained by the finding that when the RH decreases, higher concentrations of organic molecules (i.e., 3-MGA) are present at or near the droplet surface, which are more readily exposed to OH oxidation, as demonstrated by phase separation measurements and model simulations. This could increase the reactive collision probability between 3-MGA molecules and OH radicals dissolved near the droplet surface and secondary chain reactions. Even for phase-separated droplets with a fully established core–shell structure, the diffusion rate of organic molecules across the organic-rich outer shell is predicted to be fast in this system. Thus, the overall rate of reactions is likely governed by the surface concentration of 3-MGA rather than a diffusion limitation. Overall, understanding the aerosol phase state (single liquid phase versus two separate liquid phases) is essential to better probe the heterogenous reactivity under different aerosol chemical composition and environmental conditions (e.g., RH).
Abstract. Atmospheric particles, consisting of inorganic salts, organic compounds and a varying amount of water, can continuously undergo heterogeneous oxidation initiated by gas-phase oxidants at the particle surface, changing the composition and properties of particles over time. To date, most studies focus on the chemical evolution of pure organic particles upon oxidation. To gain more fundamental insights into the effects of inorganic salts on the heterogeneous kinetics and chemistry of organic compounds, we investigate the heterogeneous OH oxidation of 3-methylglutaric acid (3-MGA) particles and particles containing both 3-MGA and ammonium sulfate (AS) in an organic-to-inorganic mass ratio of 2 in an aerosol flow tube reactor at a high relative humidity of 85.0 %. The molecular information of the particles before and after OH oxidation is obtained using the direct analysis in real time (DART), a soft atmospheric pressure ionization source coupled to a high-resolution mass spectrometer. Optical microscopy measurements reveal that 3-MGA–AS particles are in a single liquid phase prior to oxidation at high relative humidity. Particle mass spectra show that C6 hydroxyl and C6 ketone functionalization products are the major products formed upon OH oxidation in the absence and presence of AS, suggesting that the dissolved salt does not significantly affect reaction pathways. The dominance of C6 hydroxyl products over C6 ketone products could be explained by the intermolecular hydrogen abstraction by tertiary alkoxy radicals formed at the methyl-substituted tertiary carbon site. On the other hand, kinetic measurements show that the effective OH uptake coefficient, γeff, for 3-MGA–AS particles (0.99±0.05) is smaller than that for 3-MGA particles (2.41±0.13) by about a factor of ∼2.4. A smaller reactivity observed in 3-MGA–AS particles might be attributed to a higher surface concentration of water molecules and the presence of ammonium and sulfate ions, which are chemically inert to OH radicals, at the particle surface. This could lower the collision probability between the 3-MGA and OH radicals, resulting in a smaller overall reaction rate. Our results suggest that inorganic salts likely alter the overall heterogeneous reactivity of organic compounds with gas-phase OH radicals rather than reaction mechanisms in well-mixed aqueous organic–inorganic droplets at a high humidity, i.e., 85 % relative humidity (RH). It also acknowledges that the effects of inorganic salts on the heterogeneous reactivity could vary greatly, depending on the particle composition and environmental conditions (e.g., RH and temperature). For instance, at lower relative humidities, aqueous 3-MGA–AS droplets likely become more concentrated and more viscous before efflorescence, possibly giving rise to diffusion limitation during oxidation under relatively dry or cold conditions. Further studies on the effects of inorganic salts on the diffusivity of the species under different relative humidities within the organic–inorganic particles are also desirable to better understand the role of inorganic salts in the heterogeneous reactivity of organic compounds.
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