Preprints
https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-610
https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-610
06 Mar 2024
 | 06 Mar 2024

Surface equilibrium vapor pressure of organic nanoparticles measured from the Dynamic-aerosol-size Electrical Mobility Spectrometer

Ella Häkkinen, Huan Yang, Runlong Cai, and Juha Kangasluoma

Abstract. Aerosol particles undergo continuous changes in their chemical composition and physical properties throughout their lifecycles, leading to diverse climate and health impacts. In particular, organic nanoparticle’s surface equilibrium vapor pressure stands as a critical factor for gas-particle partitioning and is pivotal for understanding the evolution of aerosol properties. Herein, we present measurements of evaporation kinetics and surface equilibrium vapor pressures of a wide array of laboratory-generated organic nanoparticles, employing the Dynamic-aerosol-size Electrical Mobility Spectrometer (DEMS) methodology, a recent advancement in aerosol process characterization. The DEMS methodology is founded on the principle that the local velocity of a size-changing nanoparticle within a flow field has a one-to-one correspondence with its local size. Consequently, this approach can facilitate the in situ probing of rapid aerosol size-changing processes, by analyzing the trajectories of size-changing nanoparticles within the classification region of a differential mobility analyzer (DMA). We employ DEMS with a tandem DMA setup, where a heated sheath flow in the second DMA initiates particle evaporation in its classification region. Through analysis of the DEMS response and the underlying mechanism governing the evaporation process, we reconstruct temporal radius profiles of evaporating nanoparticles and derive their surface equilibrium vapor pressures across various temperatures. Our results demonstrate a good agreement between the vapor pressures deduced from DEMS measurements and those documented in literature. We discuss the measurable vapor pressure range achievable with DEMS and elucidate associated uncertainties. Furthermore, we outline prospective directions for refining this methodology and anticipate its potential to contribute to the characterization of aerosol-related kinetic processes with currently unknown mechanisms.

Publisher's note: Copernicus Publications remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims made in the text, published maps, institutional affiliations, or any other geographical representation in this preprint. The responsibility to include appropriate place names lies with the authors.
Share

Journal article(s) based on this preprint

17 Jul 2024
Surface equilibrium vapor pressure of organic nanoparticles measured from the dynamic-aerosol-size electrical mobility spectrometer
Ella Häkkinen, Huan Yang, Runlong Cai, and Juha Kangasluoma
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 17, 4211–4225, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-4211-2024,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-4211-2024, 2024
Short summary
Download

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

Short summary
We report measurements of evaporation kinetics and surface equilibrium vapor pressures for...
Share