Determination of Secondary Organic Aerosol Products from the Photooxidation of Toluene and their Implications in Ambient PM2.5

A laboratory study was carried out to investigate the secondary organic aerosol products from photooxidation of the aromatic hydrocarbon toluene. The laboratory experiments consisted of irradiating toluene\propylene\NOx\air mixtures in a smog chamber operated in the dynamic mode and collecting submicron secondary organic aerosol samples through a sampling train that consisted of an XAD denuder and a ZefluorTM filter. Oxidation products in the filter extracts were treated using O-(2,3,4,5,6,-pentafluorobenzyl)-hydroxylamine (PFBHA) to derivatize carbonyl groups followed by treatment with N,O-Bis(trimethylsilyl)acetamide (BSTFA) to derivatize OH groups. The derivatized products were detected with a positive chemical ionization (CI) gas chromatography ion trap mass spectroscopy (GC-ITMS) system. The results of the GC-ITMS analyses were consistent with the previous studies that demonstrated the formation of multi-functional oxygenates. Denuder results showed that many of these same compounds were present in the gas, as well as, the particle phase. Moreover, evidence was found for a series of multifunctional acids produced as higher order oxidation products of the toluene\NOx system. Products having nearly the same mass spectrum were also found in the ambient environment using identical analytical techniques. These products having multiple acid and alcoholic-OH moieties have substantially lower volatility than previously reported SOA products of the toluene photooxidation and might serve as an indicator for aromatic oxidation in the ambient atmosphere.