Comparison of Thermal and Non-Thermal Protocols for Analysis of Isoprene Secondary Organic Aerosol (SOA) Generated under Conditions of Low Nitrogen Oxides (NOx)

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This project is focused on laboratory studies of the formation of secondary organic aerosol (SOA) in the atmosphere derived from the presence of isoprene. Isoprene is a compound produced and emitted by many species of trees and other plant materials. Experiments will be conducted in a laboratory chamber to investigate the formation of SOA and assess the possible presence of artifacts related to the use of certain experimental methods.This study includes an in-depth, quantitative, molecular-level investigation of isoprene-SOA composition and aging. The objectives of the research are to: (1) synthesize standards to investigate artifact formation and to identify labile components degraded during conventional thermal GC-ESI/MS analysis of isoprene SOA formed under low-nitrogen oxide (NOx) conditions; (2) optimize hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography (HILIC) protocols for separation of synthetic targets and SOA extracts; and (3) conduct an analysis of the SOA particles and identification of analytical artifacts/decomposition products by comparison of results from HILIC and GC/EI-MS protocols.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.