Computational Study of the Effect of Glyoxal–Sulfate Clustering on the Henry’s Law Coefficient of Glyoxal

We have used quantum chemical methods to investigate the molecular mechanism behind the recently reported ( Kampf , C. J. ; Environ. Sci. Technol . 2013 , 47 , 4236 - 4244 ) strong dependence of the Henry's law coefficient of glyoxal (C2O2H2) on the sulfate concentration of the aqueous phase. Although the glyoxal molecule interacts only weakly with sulfate, its hydrated forms (C2O3H4 and C2O4H6) form strong complexes with sulfate, displacing water molecules from the solvation shell and increasing the uptake of glyoxal into sulfate-containing aqueous solutions, including sulfate-containing aerosol particles. This promotes the participation of glyoxal in reactions leading to secondary organic…