TY - JOUR
T1 - Limited Role of Malonic Acid in Sulfuric Acid-Dimethylamine New Particle Formation
AU - Fomete, Sandra K.W.
AU - Kubečka, Jakub
AU - Elm, Jonas
AU - Jen, Coty N.
PY - 2023/6
Y1 - 2023/6
N2 - Aerosols play an important role in climate and air quality; however, the mechanisms behind aerosol particle formation in the atmosphere are poorly understood. Studies have identified sulfuric acid, water, oxidized organics, and ammonia/amines as key precursors for forming aerosol particles in the atmosphere. Theoretical and experimental investigations have indicated that other species, such as organic acids, may be involved in atmospheric nucleation and growth of freshly formed aerosol particles. Organic acids, such as dicarboxylic acids, which are abundant in the atmosphere, have been measured in ultrafine aerosol particles. These observations suggest that organic acids may contribute to new particle formation in the atmosphere but their role remains ambiguous. This study examines how malonic acid interacts with sulfuric acid and dimethylamine to form new particles at warm boundary layer conditions using experimental observations from a laminar flow reactor and quantum chemical calculations coupled with cluster dynamics simulations. Observations reveal that malonic acid does not contribute to the initial steps (formation of <1 nm diameter particle) of nucleation with sulfuric acid-dimethylamine. In addition, malonic acid was found to not participate in the subsequent growth of the freshly nucleated 1 nm particles from sulfuric acid-dimethylamine reactions to diameters of 2 nm.
AB - Aerosols play an important role in climate and air quality; however, the mechanisms behind aerosol particle formation in the atmosphere are poorly understood. Studies have identified sulfuric acid, water, oxidized organics, and ammonia/amines as key precursors for forming aerosol particles in the atmosphere. Theoretical and experimental investigations have indicated that other species, such as organic acids, may be involved in atmospheric nucleation and growth of freshly formed aerosol particles. Organic acids, such as dicarboxylic acids, which are abundant in the atmosphere, have been measured in ultrafine aerosol particles. These observations suggest that organic acids may contribute to new particle formation in the atmosphere but their role remains ambiguous. This study examines how malonic acid interacts with sulfuric acid and dimethylamine to form new particles at warm boundary layer conditions using experimental observations from a laminar flow reactor and quantum chemical calculations coupled with cluster dynamics simulations. Observations reveal that malonic acid does not contribute to the initial steps (formation of <1 nm diameter particle) of nucleation with sulfuric acid-dimethylamine. In addition, malonic acid was found to not participate in the subsequent growth of the freshly nucleated 1 nm particles from sulfuric acid-dimethylamine reactions to diameters of 2 nm.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85162898467&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1021/acsomega.3c01643
DO - 10.1021/acsomega.3c01643
M3 - Journal article
C2 - 37305259
AN - SCOPUS:85162898467
SN - 2470-1343
VL - 8
SP - 19807
EP - 19815
JO - ACS Omega
JF - ACS Omega
IS - 22
ER -