6533b836fe1ef96bd12a0804

RESEARCH PRODUCT

New tracer compounds for secondary organic aerosol formation from β-caryophyllene oxidation

subject

description

Abstract Five products from β-caryophyllene oxidation (β-caryophyllonic acid (I), 3,3-dimethyl-2-(3-oxobutyl)cyclobutanecarboxylic acid (βCA198) (II), β-nocaryophyllonic acid (III), β-caryophyllinic acid (IV), and 2-(2-carboxyethyl)-3,3-dimethylcyclobutanecarboxylic acid (βCA200) (V)) were synthesized and their structures confirmed by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Reaction chamber experiments with β-caryophyllene at two different ozone mixing ratios were performed and the carboxylic acid oxidation products in the particle phase were characterized by APCI–MS and HPLC–ESI–MS. All five synthesized acids were found as β-caryophyllene oxidation products in the reaction chamber aerosol. The main oxidation products of the reaction chamber experiments were β-14-hydroxynocaryophyllonic acid, β-nocaryophyllonic acid (III) and βCA198 (II). Product yields of the acids were estimated based on the chamber experiments and the application of the atmospheric chemistry box model CAABA/MECCA. Finally, ambient aerosol samples taken during the HUMPPA campaign in Hyytiala, Finland in summer 2010 were analysed for the carboxylic acid β-caryophyllene oxidation products. All five synthesized compounds were detected and were quantified in the ambient aerosol samples. The major β-caryophyllene carboxylic acid oxidation products in the ambient air samples were β-nocaryophyllonic acid (III) and βCA198 (II) with concentrations in the range of about 0.2–14 ng m−3 and 0.8–6.8 ng m−3. The fact that the concentrations of these two acids in ambient aerosol are generally higher than the concentration of β-caryophyllinic acid (IV) (often used in previous studies as oxidation tracer) with a concentration of about 0.16 ng m−3 leads to the conclusion that these two acids are better suited as tracer compounds for β-caryophyllene secondary organic aerosol formation.