TITLE:
A Review of the Aqueous Aerosol Surface Chemistry in the Atmospheric Context
AUTHORS:
Kalliat T. Valsaraj
KEYWORDS:
Aerosols; Water Film; Adsorption; Reaction
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Physical Chemistry,
Vol.2 No.1,
February
28,
2012
ABSTRACT: In this review the surface chemistry and properties of aqueous atmospheric aerosols are explored. Water plays a major role in scavenging pollutants. Reactions occur on thin water films in atmospheric aerosols. The study of the aerosol wa- ter surface is important to properly account for chemical transformations in the troposphere. The thermodynamics of adsorption of organic molecules and oxidant species on the aqueous surface and, the techniques employed to quantify the adsorption isotherms are summarized. Experimental techniques for elucidating the reactions on the water surface are described. Field and laboratory data for oxidation reactions of compounds at the air-water interface are summarized. The Langmuir-Hinshelwood reaction mechanism is useful in quantifying the reaction rate on the aqueous aerosol sur- face. A hypothesis for the large heterogeneous reaction rate on the water surface over the homogeneous bulk aqueous phase reaction is presented.