Aqueous-phase photolysis of biacetyl (An α-dicarbonyl compound): A sink for biacetyl, and a source of acetic acid, peroxyacetic acid, hydrogen peroxide, and the highly oxidizing acetylperoxyl radical in aqueous aerosols, fogs, and clouds

Aqueous-phase photolysis of biacetyl represents a heretofore uncharacterized sink for biacetyl and source of organic acids and peroxides to aqueous aerosols, and fog and cloud drops. The photolysis half-life of aqueous-phase biacetyl is approximately 1.0–1.6 h for a solar zenith angle of 36° (midday equinox sunlight in Durham, NC). Major products of aqueous biacetyl photolysis are acetic acid, peroxyacetic acid, and hydrogen peroxide. Pyruvic acid and methylhydroperoxide are minor photoproducts. Common atmospheric reductants (H-atom donors), such as formate, formaldehyde, glyoxal, phenol (as a model for phenolic compounds) and α- -glucose (as a model for carbohydrates), substantially increase the quantum yields of peroxyacetic acid Formate also significantly increases the quantum yields of hydrogen peroxide. The highly oxidizing acetylperoxyl radical is proposed as a key intermediate in the photolysis of aqueous biacetyl. The sources and reactions of acetylperoxyl radicals in aqueous aerosols, fogs, and clouds should be investigated in future studies of atmospheric water-drop chemistry.