http://www.atmos-chem-phys.net/13/8255/2013/acp-13-8255-2013.html

Self-limited uptake of α-pinene oxide to acidic aerosol: the effects of
liquid-liquid phase separation and implications for the formation of
secondary organic aerosol and organosulfates from epoxides

G. T. Drozd, J. L. Woo, and V. F. McNeillDepartment of Chemical
Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10027, USA

Abstract.
The reactive uptake of α-pinene oxide (αPO) to acidic sulfate aerosol was
studied under humid conditions in order to gain insight into the effects of
liquid-liquid phase separation on aerosol heterogeneous chemistry and to
elucidate further the formation of secondary organic aerosol and
organosulfates from epoxides. A continuous flow environmental chamber was
used to monitor changes in diameter of monodisperse, deliquesced, acidic
sulfate particles exposed to αPO at 25% and 50% RH (relative humidity). In
order to induce phase separation and probe potential limits to particle
growth from acidic uptake, αPO was introduced over a wide range of
concentrations, from 200 ppb to 5 ppm. Uptake was observed to be highly
dependent on initial aerosol pH. Significant uptake of αPO to aerosol was
observed with initial pH < 0. When exposed to 200 ppb αPO, aerosol with pH
= -0.5 showed 23% growth, and 6% volume growth was observed at pH = 0.
Aerosol with pH = 1 showed no growth. The extreme acidity required for
efficient αPO uptake suggests that this chemistry is typically not a major
route to formation of aerosol mass or organosulfates in the atmosphere.
Effective partition coefficients (Kp, eff) were in the range of (0.1-2) x
10-4 m3μg-1 and were correlated to initial particle acidity and particle
organic content; particles with higher organic content had lower partition
coefficients. Effective uptake coefficients (γeff) ranged from 0.1 to 1.1 x
10-4 and are much lower than recently reported for uptake to bulk
solutions. In experiments in which αPO was added to bulk H2SO4 solutions,
phase separation was observed for mass loadings similar to those observed
with particles, and product distributions were dependent on acid
concentration. Liquid-liquid phase separation in bulk experiments, along
with our observations of decreased uptake to particles with the largest
growth factors, suggests an organic coating forms upon uptake to particles,
limiting reactive uptake.

Citation:
Drozd, G. T., Woo, J. L., and McNeill, V. F.: Self-limited uptake of
α-pinene oxide to acidic aerosol: the effects of liquid-liquid phase
separation and implications for the formation of secondary organic aerosol
and organosulfates from epoxides, Atmos. Chem. Phys., 13, 8255-8263,
doi:10.5194/acp-13-8255-2013, 2013.

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