Principal Investigator Jesse Kroll
In this project we study the formation of secondary organic aerosol (SOA) via the direct generation of key radical intermediate species. Alkoxy radicals and alkylperoxy radicals are generated from the photolysis of precursors (alkyl nitrites and alkyl iodides, respectively), and particle-phase products of their reactions are examined using aerosol mass spectrometry. The advantage of this approach is that individual reaction pathways and oxidation generations can be probed, which is not possible in standard hydrocarbon + oxidant studies.