Multiphase OH oxidation kinetics of organic aerosol: The role of particle phase state and relative humidity

Abstract

Abstract Organic aerosol can exhibit different phase states in response to changes in relative humidity (RH), thereby influencing heterogeneous reaction rates with trace gas species. OH radical uptake by laboratory‐generated levoglucosan and methyl‐nitrocatechol particles, serving as surrogates for biomass burning aerosol, is determined as a function of RH. Increasing RH lowers the viscosity of amorphous levoglucosan aerosol particles enabling enhanced OH uptake. Conversely, OH uptake by methyl‐nitrocatechol aerosol particles is suppressed at higher RH as a result of competitive coadsorption of H 2 O that occupies reactive sites. This is shown to have substantial impacts on organic aerosol lifetimes with respect to OH oxidation. The results emphasize the importance of organic aerosol phase state to accurately describe the multiphase chemical kinetics and thus chemical aging process in atmospheric models to better represent the evolution of organic aerosol and its role in air quality and climate.