RUI: Epoxides from Biogenic Volatile Organic Compounds: Gas Phase Formation and Aerosol Phase Reactions

生物源挥发性有机化合物(BVOC)是由植物在全球范围内大量排放的非甲烷碳氢化合物(每年约1150太克碳：C.F.每年约140太克人为碳)，是光化学烟雾形成以及二次有机气溶胶产生的重要前体。这项工作继续寻求首席研究人员对类异戊二烯环氧化物中间体在生物挥发性有机化合物(如a-Pinene、b-Pinene、柠檬烯、2-Me-3-Buten-2-ol、3-Z-Hexenal)氧化过程中的潜在参与感兴趣，并对它们随后的气相和颗粒相反应性进行评估。并不是所有这些化合物都是现成的，因此可能需要合成一些。主要的机理活动是研究环氧化物的形成，它们的NOx和压力依赖关系通过BVOCs与常见的大气氧化剂OH、O_3和NO_3的反应而产生。之前的瑞安助学金，以及国际大气化学研究所的其他支持，使本科生能够广泛参与大气化学研究。在过去的17年里，NSF通过PI的职业生涯和RUI项目提供了支持，大约46名本科生参与了正在进行的项目。在同一时期，这些学生中的33人是奥伯林学院PI发表的36篇论文中的30篇。

Biogenic volatile organic compounds (BVOCs) are non-methane hydrocarbons globally emitted by plants in large quantities (~1150 teragrams of carbon per year: c.f. ~ 140 teragrams of anthropogenic carbon per year) and which are important precursors for photo-chemical smog formation, along with production of secondary organic aerosols. The work seeks in continuance of the Principal Investigator's interest in the potential involvement of isoprenoid epoxide intermediates in the oxidation of biogenic volatile organic compounds (e.g. a-pinene, b-pinene, limonene, 2-me-3-buten-2-ol, 3-Z-Hexenal) along with assessment of their subsequent gas phase and particle phase reactivity. Not all of these compounds are readily available, and thus some may need to be synthesized. The central mechanistic activity is then to study the epoxide formation, and their NOx and pressure dependence yields via reactions of BVOCs with OH, O3 and NO3, the common atmospheric oxidants. The previous RUI grant, and the PI's other support, has made possible the extensive participation of undergraduate students in aspects of atmospheric chemistry research. Over the past 17 years of NSF support through the PI's CAREER and RUI programs, some 46 undergraduate students have been involved in ongoing projects. During this same period, 33 of these students were coauthors on 30 of the 36 papers published by the Oberlin College PI.