Functionalized Secondary Organic Particle Phase Products from Terpenes and Terpene Oxidation Products (FuProTer II)

• Applicant: Professor Dr. Hartmut Herrmann
• Subject Area: Atmospheric Science
• Term: from 2009 to 2015
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 122961413

Organic matter frequently makes up the largest aerosol fraction over continental regions. Because of the large influence of particulate organic compounds on thermodynamic, microphysical and chemical properties a quantitative description of the impact of organic compounds to aerosol formation and modification is needed. Within this project the reaction of terpenes and terpene oxidation products will be studied in an aerosol chamber. Main focus is the formation of functionalized particulate organic products on pre-existing particles with different acidities. First, the reactions of selected terpenes (α-pinene, β-pinene and limonene) with OH-radicals will be studied to get a deeper insight into the mechanisms of particulate organic matter formation. Here especially the conditions and reaction pathways for the formation of oligomeric particulate products and of sulfate esters which have been found as products of the ozonolysis of terpenes in our preceding DFG-project should be elucidated to get an estimate of the relevance of these compounds to the real atmosphere. Secondly, the reaction of known semivolatile terpene oxidation products (pinonaldehyde, nopinon, endolim) with OH-radicals will be investigated to improve our understanding of the further steps in atmospheric terpene oxidation mechanisms. The influence of reaction conditions (R.H., initial concentrations) on particulate products and yields will also be studied.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• Participating Persons: Dr. Olaf Böge; Dr. Yoshiteru Iinuma