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Atmos. Chem. Phys. Discuss., 11, 19443-19476, 2011
www.atmos-chem-phys-discuss.net/11/19443/2011/ doi:10.5194/acpd-11-19443-2011 © Author(s) 2011. This work is distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License. |
Formation of 3-methyl-1,2,3-butanetricarboxylic acid via gas phase oxidation of pinonic acid – a mass spectrometric study of SOA aging
1Johannes Gutenberg-Universität, Institute for inorganic Chemistry and analytical Chemistry, Duesbergweg 10–14, 55128 Mainz, Germany
2Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Institute for Meteorology and Climate Research (IMK-AAF), Hermann-von-Helmholtz-Platz 1, 76344 Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen, Germany
3Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, ICG-2: Troposphäre, 52425 Jülich, Germany
4Carnegie Mellon University, Department of Chemical Engineering, 5000 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15213-3890 USA
Abstract. This paper presents the results of mass spectrometric investigations of the OH-initiated oxidative aging of α-pinene SOA under simulated tropospheric conditions at the large aerosol chamber facility AIDA, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology. In particular, the OH-initiated oxidation of pure pinic and pinonic acid, two well-known oxidation products of α-pinene, was investigated. Two complementary analytical techniques were used, on-line atmospheric pressure chemical ionization/mass spectrometry (APCI/MS) and filter sampling followed by liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC/ESI-MS). The results show that 3-methyl-1,2,3-butanetricarboxylic acid (MBTCA), a known and very low volatile α-pinene SOA product, is formed from the oxidation of pinonic acid and that this oxidation takes place in the gas phase. This finding is confirmed by temperature-dependent aging experiments on whole SOA formed from α-pinene, in which the yield of MBTCA scales with the pinonic acid fraction in the gas phase. Based on the results, several feasible gas-phase radical mechanisms are discussed to explain the formation of MBTCA from OH-initiated pinonic acid oxidation.
Citation: Müller, L., Reinnig, M. C., Naumann, K. H., Saathoff, H., Mentel, T. F., Donahue, N. M., and Hoffmann, T.: Formation of 3-methyl-1,2,3-butanetricarboxylic acid via gas phase oxidation of pinonic acid – a mass spectrometric study of SOA aging, Atmos. Chem. Phys. Discuss., 11, 19443-19476, doi:10.5194/acpd-11-19443-2011, 2011.