PNNL

Abstract

Traditional semi-empirical secondary organic aerosol (SOA) models assume that SOA mixes well with primary organic aerosols (POA), which significantly enhances the modeled SOA yields. These models further assume that the organic compounds in the gas phase do no condense on SOA as it forms. These assumptions were challenged through a detailed experimental investigation of the compositions and morphologies of SOA particles formed during ozonolysis of a-pinene in the presence of dioctyl phthalate (DOP) particles and DOP gas phase component using a single particle mass spectrometer. Ultraviolet (UV) laser depth-profiling experiments were used to characterize different types of mixed SOA/DOP particles: those formed by condensation of the oxidized a-pinene products on size-selected DOP particles and by condensation of DOP on size-selected a-pinene SOA particles. The results of these measurements conclusively show that the hydrophilic SOA and hydrophobic DOP do not mix, but instead form distinct phases. An examination of homogeneously-nucleated SOA particles formed in the presence of DOP shows them to be encapsulated by a thin DOP layer. Thus SOA can adsorb gas-phase DOP even though it has an extremely low vapor pressure (1.3×10-7 Torr), which has significant implications for SOA formation and fate in the atmosphere, where numerous organic compounds with various volatilities are present.