2023/06/23 by David T. Limmer, Andreas W. Götz, Limmer, David T. +5 · 4 citations
Earth and Planetary Sciences · Environmental Science · #Air Quality Monitoring and Forecasting #Atmospheric chemistry and aerosols #Chemical Physics (physics.chem-ph) #FOS: Physical sciences #Statistical Mechanics (cond-mat.stat-mech) #Water Treatment and Disinfection
paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.2306.13811
openalex publication_date 2023/06/23 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
Atmospheric aerosols facilitate reactions between ambient gases and dissolved species. Here, we review our efforts to interrogate the uptake of these gases and the mechanisms of their reactions both theoretically and experimentally. We highlight the fascinating behavior of N2O5 in solutions ranging from pure water to complex mixtures, chosen because its aerosol-mediated reactions significantly impact global ozone, hydroxyl, and methane concentrations. As a hydrophobic, weakly soluble, and highly reactive species, N2O5 is a sensitive probe of the chemical and physical properties of aerosol interfaces. We employ contemporary theory to disentangle the fate of N2O5 as it approaches pure and salty water, starting with adsorption and ending with hydrolysis to HNO3, chlorination to ClNO2, or evaporation. Flow reactor and gas-liquid scattering experiments probe even greater complexity as added ions, organic molecules, and surfactants alter interfacial composition and reaction rates. Together, we reveal a new perspective on multiphase chemistry in the atmosphere.