Primary Atmospheric Oxidation Mechanism for Toluene

• Published in: The journal of physical chemistry. A, Molecules, spectroscopy, kinetics, environment, & general theory Vol. 113; no. 1; pp. 221 - 230
• Main Authors: Baltaretu, Cristian O, Lichtman, Eben I, Hadler, Amelia B, Elrod, Matthew J
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States American Chemical Society 08.01.2009
• Subjects: A: Atmospheric, Environmental and Green Chemistry
• ISSN: 1089-5639; 1520-5215
• DOI: 10.1021/jp806841t

The products of the primary OH-initiated oxidation of toluene were investigated using the turbulent flow chemical ionization mass spectrometry technique at temperatures ranging from 228 to 298 K. A major dienedial-producing pathway was detected for the first time for toluene oxidation, and glyoxal and methylglyoxal were found to be minor primary oxidation products. The results suggest that secondary oxidation processes involving dienedial and epoxide primary products are likely responsible for previous observations of glyoxal and methylglyoxal products from toluene oxidation. Because the dienedial-producing pathway is a null cycle for tropospheric ozone production and glyoxal and methylglyoxal are important secondary organic aerosol precursors, these new findings have important implications for the modeling of toluene oxidation in the atmosphere.