Preprints
https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2022-1131
https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2022-1131
24 Oct 2022
 | 24 Oct 2022

Selective deuteration as a tool for resolving autoxidation mechanisms in α-pinene ozonolysis

Melissa J. A. Meder, Otso Peräkylä, Jonathan G. Varelas, Jenny Luo, Runlong Cai, Yanjun Zhang, Theo Kurtén, Matthieu Riva, Matti P. Rissanen, Franz M. Geiger, Regan James Thomson, and Mikael Ehn

Abstract. Highly oxygenated organic molecules (HOM) from α-pinene ozonolysis have been shown to be significant contributors to secondary organic aerosol (SOA), yet our mechanistic understanding of how the peroxy radical-driven autoxidation leads to their formation in this system is still limited. The involved isomerisation reactions such as H-atom abstractions followed by O2 additions can take place on sub-second time-scales in short-lived intermediates, making the process challenging to study. Similarly, while the end products and sometimes radical intermediates can be observed using mass spectrometry, their structures remain elusive. Therefore, we propose a method utilising selective deuterations for unveiling the mechanisms of autoxidation, where the HOM products can be used to infer which C-atoms have taken part in the isomerisation reactions. This relies on the fact that if a C−D bond is broken due to an abstraction by a peroxy group forming a −OOD hydroperoxide, the D-atom will become labile and able to be exchanged with a hydrogen atom in water vapour (H2O), effectively leading to loss of the D-atom from the molecule.

In this study, we test the applicability of this method using three differently deuterated versions of α-pinene with the newly developed chemical ionisation Orbitrap (CI-Orbitrap) mass spectrometer to inspect the oxidation products. The high mass resolving power of the Orbitrap is critical, as it allows the unambiguous separation of molecules with a D-atom (mD=2.0141) from those with two H-atoms (mH2=2.0157). We found that the method worked well and we could deduce that two of the three tested compounds had lost D-atoms during oxidation, suggesting that those deuterated positions were actively involved in the autoxidation process. Surprisingly, the deuterations were not observed to decrease HOM molar yields, as would have been expected due to kinetic isotope effects. This may be an indication that the relevant H (or D) abstractions were fast enough that no competing pathways were of relevance despite slower abstraction rates of the D-atom. We show that selective deuteration can be a very useful method for studying autoxidation on a molecular level, and likely not limited to the system of α-pinene ozonolysis tested here.

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Journal article(s) based on this preprint

13 Apr 2023
| Highlight paper
Selective deuteration as a tool for resolving autoxidation mechanisms in α-pinene ozonolysis
Melissa Meder, Otso Peräkylä, Jonathan G. Varelas, Jingyi Luo, Runlong Cai, Yanjun Zhang, Theo Kurtén, Matthieu Riva, Matti Rissanen, Franz M. Geiger, Regan J. Thomson, and Mikael Ehn
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 23, 4373–4390, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-4373-2023,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-4373-2023, 2023
Short summary Executive editor
Melissa J. A. Meder, Otso Peräkylä, Jonathan G. Varelas, Jenny Luo, Runlong Cai, Yanjun Zhang, Theo Kurtén, Matthieu Riva, Matti P. Rissanen, Franz M. Geiger, Regan James Thomson, and Mikael Ehn

Interactive discussion

Status: closed

Comment types: AC – author | RC – referee | CC – community | EC – editor | CEC – chief editor | : Report abuse
  • RC1: 'Comment on egusphere-2022-1131', Anonymous Referee #1, 15 Nov 2022
  • RC2: 'Comment on egusphere-2022-1131', Anonymous Referee #2, 27 Nov 2022
  • RC3: 'Comment on egusphere-2022-1131', Anonymous Referee #3, 28 Nov 2022
  • RC4: 'Comment on egusphere-2022-1131', Anonymous Referee #4, 29 Nov 2022
  • AC1: 'Comment on egusphere-2022-1131 - Final author reply to the editor', Melissa Meder, 28 Feb 2023

Interactive discussion

Status: closed

Comment types: AC – author | RC – referee | CC – community | EC – editor | CEC – chief editor | : Report abuse
  • RC1: 'Comment on egusphere-2022-1131', Anonymous Referee #1, 15 Nov 2022
  • RC2: 'Comment on egusphere-2022-1131', Anonymous Referee #2, 27 Nov 2022
  • RC3: 'Comment on egusphere-2022-1131', Anonymous Referee #3, 28 Nov 2022
  • RC4: 'Comment on egusphere-2022-1131', Anonymous Referee #4, 29 Nov 2022
  • AC1: 'Comment on egusphere-2022-1131 - Final author reply to the editor', Melissa Meder, 28 Feb 2023

Peer review completion

AR: Author's response | RR: Referee report | ED: Editor decision | EF: Editorial file upload
AR by Melissa Meder on behalf of the Authors (28 Feb 2023)  Author's response   Author's tracked changes   Manuscript 
ED: Publish as is (03 Mar 2023) by Sergey A. Nizkorodov
AR by Melissa Meder on behalf of the Authors (22 Mar 2023)  Author's response   Manuscript 

Journal article(s) based on this preprint

13 Apr 2023
| Highlight paper
Selective deuteration as a tool for resolving autoxidation mechanisms in α-pinene ozonolysis
Melissa Meder, Otso Peräkylä, Jonathan G. Varelas, Jingyi Luo, Runlong Cai, Yanjun Zhang, Theo Kurtén, Matthieu Riva, Matti Rissanen, Franz M. Geiger, Regan J. Thomson, and Mikael Ehn
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 23, 4373–4390, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-4373-2023,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-4373-2023, 2023
Short summary Executive editor
Melissa J. A. Meder, Otso Peräkylä, Jonathan G. Varelas, Jenny Luo, Runlong Cai, Yanjun Zhang, Theo Kurtén, Matthieu Riva, Matti P. Rissanen, Franz M. Geiger, Regan James Thomson, and Mikael Ehn
Melissa J. A. Meder, Otso Peräkylä, Jonathan G. Varelas, Jenny Luo, Runlong Cai, Yanjun Zhang, Theo Kurtén, Matthieu Riva, Matti P. Rissanen, Franz M. Geiger, Regan James Thomson, and Mikael Ehn

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The requested preprint has a corresponding peer-reviewed final revised paper. You are encouraged to refer to the final revised version.

In the last decade it was discovered that autoxidation of monoterpenes produces highly oxidised organic molecules (HOM) in the atmosphere. These have low volatility and produce secondary organic aerosols that are relevant to climate and human health. Autoxidation involves organic peroxy radicals which undergo one or more intramolecular H-shifts with subsequent O2 addition leading to the formation of HOMs. The experimental and theoretical elucidation of the mechanism is challenging due to the large number and isomerism of possible intermediates and their numerous reaction pathways. In the present study, selective isotope labeling was combined with high-resolution mass spectrometry to greatly enhance the possibilities to identify relevant reaction pathways. Selective isotopic labeling of organic molecules is a powerful method for studying reaction mechanisms, and it is currently underutilized in the community. This is a great example of using this method, hopefully paving the way to more studies of this sort to come.
Short summary
This manuscript discusses the formation pathways of highly oxygenated organic molecules (HOM) from the oxidation of the monoterpene α-pinene. These molecules are very important for secondary organic aerosol (SOA) formation in forested regions, and monoterpenes are the single largest source of SOA globally. The fast reactions leading to HOM remain elusive despite considerable efforts over the last decade. Our focus is on using multiple isotopically labelled precursors to probe these reactions.