Issue 2, 2023

Hygroscopicity of nitrogen-containing organic carbon compounds: o-aminophenol and p-aminophenol

Abstract

Nitrogen-containing Organic Carbon (NOC) is a major constituent of atmospheric aerosols and they have received significant attention in the atmospheric science community. While extensive research and advancements have been made regarding their emission sources, concentrations, and their secondary formation in the atmosphere, little is known about their water uptake efficiencies and their subsequent role in climate, air quality, and visibility. In this study, we investigated the water uptake of two sparingly soluble aromatic NOCs: o-aminophenol (oAP) and p-aminophenol (pAP) under subsaturated and supersaturated conditions using a Hygroscopicity Tandem Differential Mobility Analyzer (H-TDMA) and a Cloud Condensation Nuclei Counter (CCNC), respectively. Our results show that oAP and pAP are slightly hygroscopic with comparable hygroscopicities to various studied organic aerosols. The supersaturated single hygroscopicity parameter (κCCN) was measured and reported to be 0.18 ± 0.05 for oAP and 0.04 ± 0.02 for pAP, indicating that oAP is more hygroscopic than pAP despite them having the same molecular formulae. The observed disparity in hygroscopicity is attributed to the difference in functional group locations, interactions with gas phase water molecules, and the reported bulk water solubilities of the NOC. Under subsaturated conditions, both oAP and pAP aerosols showed size dependent water uptake. Both species demonstrated growth at smaller dry particle sizes, and shrinkage at larger dry particle sizes. The measured growth factor (Gf) range, at RH = 85%, for oAP was 1.60–0.74 and for pAP was 1.53–0.74 with increasing particle size. The growth and shrinkage dichotomy is attributed to morphological particle differences verified by TEM images of small and large particles. Subsequently, aerosol physicochemical properties must be considered to properly predict the droplet growth of NOC aerosols in the atmosphere.

Graphical abstract: Hygroscopicity of nitrogen-containing organic carbon compounds: o-aminophenol and p-aminophenol

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
18 huhti 2022
Accepted
05 heinä 2022
First published
06 heinä 2022

Environ. Sci.: Processes Impacts, 2023,25, 229-240

Author version available

Hygroscopicity of nitrogen-containing organic carbon compounds: o-aminophenol and p-aminophenol

K. A. Malek, D. Rastogi, H. A. Al-Abadleh and A. A. Asa-Awuku, Environ. Sci.: Processes Impacts, 2023, 25, 229 DOI: 10.1039/D2EM00163B

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