Proton Transfer Reaction Time-of-flight Mass Spectrometer (PTR-ToF-MS)

本建议旨在购置质子转移反应飞行时间质谱仪（PTR-ToF-MS），用于检测大气中的挥发性有机化合物（VOC）。作为拜罗伊特大学（UBT）新的关键实验室的核心，该仪器将致力于分析自然和受气候影响的生态系统中土壤、植物和大气之间的交换过程。这种交换过程是复杂的，在化学、生物学和物理学之间相互交织，并涵盖多个空间和时间尺度。我们打算通过将挥发性有机化合物的检测与温室气体和气象参数的观测相结合来应对这一挑战。挥发性有机化合物在地球生态系统中大量排放，其种类繁多，取决于物种和状态、温度、辐射和其他环境因素。这使得挥发性有机化合物成为研究地球表面和大气之间交换过程的绝佳指标。质子转移反应飞行时间质谱法通过质子化水（H3 O+）或其他试剂（例如NH 4+）的软电离，选择性地检测非甲烷VOC及其几种氧化产物，而不会发生严重的碎片化，并通过飞行时间分离实现高质量分辨率。这种方法提供了一个高的时间分辨率和鲁棒性，这是需要现场测量。新的PTR-ToF-MS将灵活地部署在拖车中的移动的平台上，BayCEER（拜罗伊特生态与环境研究中心）的现场测量站或拜罗伊特大学的实验室中。迄今为止，拜罗伊特大学还没有类似的仪器。PTR-ToF-MS将成为新成立的“大气化学”研究小组的中心分析仪器。同时，PTR-ToF-MS将成为Keylab的一部分，因此有望启动跨学科的合作项目，重点关注环境研究。拜罗伊特生态与环境研究中心的专业知识为VOC及其氧化产物的测量提供了一个出色的框架。它提供了将VOC视图嵌入到进一步描述参数的组合中的可能性，这些参数有助于研究环境交换过程。因此，Keylab将把PTR-ToF-MS与温室气体分析仪、激光雷达和气象站相结合。有了这个设置，我们希望工作在当前和紧迫的研究问题交换过程中，塑造我们的栖息地在全球变化的环境。

This proposal aims to acquire a Proton Transfer Reaction Time-of-flight Mass Spectrometer (PTR-ToF-MS) for the detection of volatile organic compounds (VOC) in the atmosphere. As the core of a new Keylab at the University of Bayreuth (UBT), the instrument will be dedicated to analysing exchange processes between soil, plant and atmosphere in natural and anthropogenically impacted ecosystems. Such exchange processes are complex, intertwined between chemistry, biology and physics, and cover multiple spatial and temporal scales. We intend to tackle this challenge by combining the detection of volatile organic compounds with the observations of greenhouse gases and meteorological parameters. VOC are emitted in high number and variety by the Earth’s ecosystems, depending on species and state, temperature, irradiation and other environmental factors. This makes VOC excellent indicators to examine exchange processes between the Earth surface and the atmosphere. Proton Transfer Reaction Time-of-flight Mass Spectrometry detects non-methane VOC as well as several of their oxidation products selectively and without severe fragmentation by soft ionisation with protonated water (H3O+) or other reagents (e.g. NH4+) and with a high mass resolution via time-of-flight separation. This method provides a high temporal resolution and is robust, which is required for field measurements. The new PTR-ToF-MS will be flexibly deployed on a mobile platform in a trailer, at the field measurement stations of the BayCEER (Bayreuth Center of Ecology and Environmental Research) or in the laboratories of the University of Bayreuth. Up to date, no similar instrument exists at the University of Bayreuth. The PTR-ToF-MS will be the central analytical instrument for the newly established research group “Atmospheric Chemistry”. At the same time, the PTR-ToF-MS will be part of a Keylab and therefore is expected to initiate collaborative projects across the disciplines with a focus on environmental research.The expertise of the Bayreuth Center of Ecology and Environmental Research forms an excellent framework for the measurements of VOC and their oxidation products. It provides the possibility to embed the VOC-view into a combination of further descriptive parameters that aid to study environmental exchange processes. Therefore, the Keylab will couple the PTR-ToF-MS with analysers for greenhouse gases, a LIDAR and a weather station. With this setup, we expect to work on current and urgent research questions about exchange processes that shape our habitat in a globally changing environment.