Naphthalene-Derived Secondary Organic Aerosols Interfacial Photosensitizing Properties

We investigated the photosensitizing properties of secondary organic aerosol (SOA) formed during the hydroxyl radical (OH) initiated oxidation of naphthalene. This SOA was injected into an aerosol flow tube and exposed to UV radiation and gaseous volatile organic compounds or sulfur dioxide (SO2). The aerosol particles were observed to grow in size by photosensitized uptake of d-limonene and beta-pinene. In the presence of SO2, a photosensitized production (0.2-0.3 mu g m(-3) h(-1)) of sulfate was observed at all relative humidity (RH) levels. Some sulfate also formed on particles in the dark, probably due to the presence of organic peroxides. The dark and photochemical pathways exhibited different trends with RH, unraveling different contributions from bulk and surface chemistry. As naphthalene and other polycyclic aromatics are important SOA precursors in the urban and suburban areas, these dark and photosensitized reactions are likely to play an important role in sulfate and SOA formation.

Automated summary

The study showed that in the photosensitizing process of SOA, the addition of d-limonene and beta-pinene gases can increase the size of aerosol particles, and photosensitized production of sulfate can occur. The dark and photochemical pathways exhibit different trends with RH, revealing different contributions from bulk and surface chemistry.