Real-time measurement of oligomeric species in secondary organic aerosol with the aerosol time-of-flight mass spectrometer

Real-time detection of oligomers in secondary organic aerosols has been carried out with an aerosol time-of-flight mass spectrometer sampling particles generated in a smog chamber. The photooxidation products of 1,3,5-trimethylbenzene and NOx were studied over a range of initial 1,3,5-trimethylbenzene concentrations (137-1180 ppb), while keeping the 1,3,5-trimethylbenzene to NOx ratio nearly constant. The photooxidation products of a mixture of alpha-pinene (initial concentration 191 ppb), 1,3,5-trimethylbenzene (60 ppb), and NOx were also investigated. In both systems, ions were observed in the single-particle mass spectra up to 750 Da; the species observed differed in the two systems. These high-mass ions occur with characteristic spacing of 14 and 16 Da, indicative of oligomeric species. The results obtained agree well with off-line (matrix-assisted) laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry results. The real-time capabilities of the aerosol time-of-flight mass spectrometer make it possible to investigate the temporal development of the oligomers with 5-min time resolution and also demonstrate that there are certain ions within the oligomer population that occur in nearly all of the particles and with relatively high signal intensity, suggesting that these ions have higher stability or that the species are formed preferentially.