1-6-anhydro-beta-glucopyranose and abietic-acid

Multiphase reactions of OH radicals are among the most important pathways of chemical aging of organic aerosols in the atmosphere. Reactive uptake of OH by organic compounds has been observed in a number of studies, but the kinetics of mass transport and chemical reaction are still not fully understood. Here we apply the kinetic multilayer model of gas-particle interactions (KM-GAP) to experimental data from OH exposure studies of levoglucosan and abietic acid, which serve as surrogates and molecular markers of biomass burning aerosol (BBA). The model accounts for gas-phase diffusion within a cylindrical coated-wall flow tube, reversible adsorption of OH, surface-bulk exchange, bulk diffusion, and chemical reactions at the surface and in the bulk of the condensed phase. The nonlinear dependence of OH uptake coefficients on reactant concentrations and time can be reproduced by KM-GAP. We find that the bulk diffusion coefficient of the organic molecules is approximately 10(-16) cm(2) s(-1), reflecting an amorphous semisolid state of the organic substrates. The OH uptake is governed by reaction at or near the surface and can be kinetically limited by surface-bulk exchange or bulk diffusion of the organic reactants. Estimates of the chemical half-life of levoglucosan in 200 nm particles in a biomass burning plume increase from 1 day at high relative humidity to 1 week under dry conditions. In BBA particles transported to the free troposphere, the chemical half-life of levoglucosan can exceed 1 month due to slow bulk diffusion in a glassy matrix at low temperature.

Topics: Abietanes; Adsorption; Aerosols; Arabidopsis Proteins; Atmosphere; Biomass; Computer Simulation; Diffusion; Glucose; Humidity; Hydroxyl Radical; Kinetics; Models, Chemical; Nonlinear Dynamics; Protein Kinases; Temperature

The reactive uptake coefficients (γ) of OH by levoglucosan, abietic acid, and nitroguaiacol serving as surrogate compounds for biomass burning aerosol have been determined employing a chemical ionisation mass spectrometer coupled to a rotating-wall flow-tube reactor over a wide range of [OH] ∼10(7)-10(11) molecule cm(-3). Volatilisation products of these organic substrates due to heterogeneous oxidation by OH have been determined at 1 atm using a high resolution proton transfer reaction time-of-flight mass spectrometer (HR-PTR-ToF-MS). γ range within 0.05-1 for [OH] = 2.6 × 10(7)-3 × 10(9) molecule cm(-3) for all investigated organic compounds, but decrease to 0.008-0.034 for [OH] = 4.1 × 10(10)-6.7 × 10(10) molecule cm(-3). γ as a function of [OH] can be described by a Langmuir-Hinshelwood model, neglecting bulk processes, suggesting that despite its strong reactivity, OH is mobile on surfaces prior to reaction. The best fit Langmuir-Hinshelwood parameters on average are K(OH) = 3.81 × 10(-10) cm(3) molecule(-1) and k(s) = 9.71 × 10(-17) cm(2) molecule(-1) s(-1) for all of the investigated organic compounds. Volatilised products have been identified indicating enhancements over background of 50% up to a factor of 15. Amongst the common volatile organic compounds (VOCs) identified between levoglucosan, abietic acid, and nitroguaiacol were methanol, acetaldehyde, formic acid, and acetic acid. VOCs having the greatest enhancement over background were glucic acid from levoglucosan, glycolic acid from abietic acid, and methanol and nitric acid from nitroguaiacol. Reaction mechanisms leading to the formation of glucic acid, glycolic acid, methanol, and nitric acid are proposed. Estimated lower limits of atmospheric lifetimes of biomass burning aerosol particles, 200 nm in diameter, by heterogeneous OH oxidation under fresh biomass burning plume conditions are ∼2 days and up to ∼2 weeks for atmospheric background conditions. However, estimated lifetimes depend crucially on [OH] and corresponding γ, emphasising the need to determine γ under relevant conditions.

Topics: Abietanes; Aerosols; Biomass; Gases; Glucose; Guaiacol; Hydroxides; Kinetics; Oxidation-Reduction; Volatile Organic Compounds; Volatilization