Issue 17, 2021

The potential mechanism of atmospheric new particle formation involving amino acids with multiple functional groups

Abstract

Amino acids are recognized as significant components of atmospheric aerosols. However, their potential role in atmospheric new particle formation (NPF) is poorly understood, especially aspartic acid (ASP), one of the most abundant amino acids in the atmosphere. It has not only two advantageous carboxylic acid groups but also one amino group, both of which are both effective groups enhancing NPF. Herein, the participation mechanism of ASP in the formation of new particle involving sulfuric acid (SA)–ammonia (A)-based system has been studied using the Density Functional Theory (DFT) combined with the Atmospheric Clusters Dynamic Code (ACDC). The results show that the addition of ASP molecules in the SAA-based clusters provides a promotion on the interaction between SA and A molecules. Moreover, ACDC simulations indicate that ASP could present an obvious enhancement effect on SAA-based cluster formation rates. Meanwhile, the enhancement strength R presents a positive dependence on [ASP] and a negative dependence on [SA] and [A]. Besides, the enhancement effect of ASP is compared with that of malonic acid (MOA) with two carboxylic acid groups (Chemosphere, 2018, 203, 26–33), and ASP presents a more obvious enhancement effect than MOA. The mechanism of NPF indicates that ASP could contribute to cluster formation as a “participator” which is different from the “catalytic” role of MOA at 238 K. These new insights are helpful to understand the mechanism of NPF involving organic compounds with multiple functional groups, especially the abundant amino acids, such as the ASP, in the urban/suburban areas with intensive human activities and industrial productions and therefore the abundant sources of amino acids. Furthermore, the NPF of the SAA-based system involving amino acid should be considered when assessing the environmental risk of amino acid.

Graphical abstract: The potential mechanism of atmospheric new particle formation involving amino acids with multiple functional groups

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
15 Dec 2020
Accepted
19 Feb 2021
First published
19 Feb 2021

Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2021,23, 10184-10195

The potential mechanism of atmospheric new particle formation involving amino acids with multiple functional groups

J. Liu, L. Liu, H. Rong and X. Zhang, Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2021, 23, 10184 DOI: 10.1039/D0CP06472F

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements