Heterocyclic Product Formation in Aqueous Brown Carbon Systems

Brown carbon in aerosol remains a significant source of error in global climate modeling due to its complex nature and limited product characterization. Though significant efforts have been made in the previous decade to identify the major light-absorbing brown carbon chromophores formed through the...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inACS earth and space chemistry Vol. 3; no. 11; pp. 2472 - 2481
Main Authors Grace, Daisy N, Sharp, Jacqueline R, Holappa, Rachael E, Lugos, Emily N, Sebold, Melissa B, Griffith, Daniel R, Hendrickson, Heidi P, Galloway, Melissa M
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published American Chemical Society 21.11.2019
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Summary:Brown carbon in aerosol remains a significant source of error in global climate modeling due to its complex nature and limited product characterization. Though significant efforts have been made in the previous decade to identify the major light-absorbing brown carbon chromophores formed through the reactions of carbonyl-containing compounds with ammonium, substantial work is still required to identify the main absorbing species resulting from reactions of glyoxal, glycolaldehyde, and hydroxyacetone with ammonium sulfate (AS). Using tandem mass spectrometry and 15N experiments to confirm proposed structures and support their mechanistic pathways, compelling evidence is provided for the formation of pyrazines and imidazoles in the glyoxal + AS, glycolaldehyde + AS, and hydroxyacetone + AS systems. Through density functional theory calculations, the N-containing oligomers and aromatic heterocycles formed within these reaction systems are shown to contribute to brown carbon light absorption, thus holding significant relevance toward accurately predicting their effects on global climate.
ISSN:2472-3452
2472-3452
DOI:10.1021/acsearthspacechem.9b00235