Abstract. The build-up of oligomeric compounds during secondary organic aerosol (SOA) formation is subject of atmospheric research since several years. New particle formation and especially the SOA mass yield might be influenced significantly by oligomer formation. However, the chemical nature of observed oligomers and their formation pathways are still unclear. In this paper, the structural characterization of certain dimeric compounds (esters) formed during the ozonolysis of cyclohexene and cyclohexene/α-pinene mixtures are presented. The identification is based on the comparison of the mass spectra and the retention times (LC) of the oligomeric products with synthesized reference compounds. Cyclohexene is used here as a model compound for terpenes as globally most important SOA precursors, since it possesses a simpler structure than the biogenic alkenes and therefore offers the possibility to get access to reference compounds for certain of its oxidation products. In addition to cyclohexene, the formation of esters could also be observed in experiments with α-pinene as reactant.

On-line ion trap mass spectrometry (ITMS) enables the real-time characterization of reaction products of secondary organic aerosol (SOA). The analysis was conducted by directly introducing the aerosol particles into the ion source. Positive-ion chemical ionization at atmospheric pressure (APCI(+)) ITMS was used for the characterization of constituents of biogenic SOA produced in reaction-chamber experiments. APCI in the positive-ion mode usually enables the detection of [M+H](+) ions of the individual SOA components. In this paper the identification of organic peroxides from biogenic volatile organic compounds (VOCs) by on-line APCI-ITMS is presented. Organic peroxides containing a hydroperoxy group, generated by gas-phase ozonolysis of monoterpenes (alpha-pinene and beta-pinene) and sesquiterpenes (alpha-cedrene and alpha-copaene), could be detected via on-line APCI(+)-MS/MS experiments. A characteristic neutral loss of 34 Da (hydrogen peroxide, H(2)O(2)) in the on-line MS/MS spectra is a clear indication for the existence of an organic peroxide, containing a hydroperoxy functional group.

Epidemiological studies show a clear link between increased mortality and enhanced concentrations of ambient aerosols. The chemical and physical properties of aerosol particles causing these health effects remain unclear. A major fraction of the ambient aerosol particle mass is composed of secondary organic aerosol (SOA). Recent studies showed that a significant amount of SOA consists of high molecular weight compounds (oligomers), which are chemically not well characterized. Within the POLYSOA project a large variety of state-of-the-art analytical chemical methods were used to characterize the chemical composition of SOA particles with emphasis on the oligomeric mass fraction. Mass spectrometric results showed that SOA oligomers are highly oxidized compounds and that hydroperoxides are formed, which is consistent with NMR results. This high molecular weight fraction accounts for up to 23% of the total organic carbon in SOA particles. These well-characterized SOA particles were deposited on three lung cell culture systems (microdissected respiratory epithelia from porcine tracheae, the human bronchial epithelial cell line BEAS-2B, and porcine lung surface macrophages obtained by bronchoalveolar lavage) in a newly constructed particle deposition chamber with the goal to eventually identify particle components that are responsible for cell responses leading to adverse health effects. In addition, monolayers of the alveolar epithelial cell line A549 were used in an alveolar epithelial repair model. The lung cells were examined for morphological, biochemical, and physiological changes after exposure to SOA. Analyses of the lung cells after exposure to SOA are ongoing. First data give evidence for a moderate increase of necrotic cell death as measured by lactate dehydrogenase release and for effects on the alveolar epithelial wound repair mainly due to alterations of cell spreading and cell migration at the edge of the wound. Thus, these first results indicate that SOA, in concentrations comparable to environmental concentrations, may induce distinct effects in lung cells.

A method is presented for the determination of acidic products from terpene oxidation in filter samples of the atmospheric particle phase. Oxidation products of monoterpenes are believed to add a large fraction to the secondary organic aerosol (SOA) in the troposphere. Those products with structures containing one or more carboxylic acid groups have especially low vapour pressures and therefore they are believed to contribute substantially to the particle phase. Although many experiments were performed in simulation chambers to study the SOA generation by oxidation of terpenes, concentration measurements of products in the atmospheric particle phase are still rare. This is especially true for oxidation products of terpenes other than alpha- and beta-pinene. Therefore, we developed a method for the quantification of acidic products from terpene oxidation in atmospheric aerosol samples. After passing a PM 2.5 (PM = particulate matter) pre-separator to remove coarse particles, fine atmospheric particles were collected onto quartz fibre filters. A backup filter was placed behind the first filter to estimate possible sampling artifacts. The filters were extracted in an ultrasonic bath using methanol. After enrichment and re-dissolving in water the samples were analysed using a capillary-HPLC-ESI(-)-MS(n) set-up. The ion trap mass spectrometer could be used to gain structural information about the analytes and to enhance the selectivity of the measurements by using its MS/MS capability. A variety of products from different terpenes could be identified and quantified in samples of the ambient atmosphere using reference data from chamber experiments. Due to strong matrix effects quantification of samples from the real atmosphere had to be done by the standard addition method.

Abstract. The built-up of oligomeric compounds during secondary organic aerosol (SOA) formation is subject of atmospheric research since several years. New particle formation and especially the SOA mass yield might be influenced significantly by oligomer formation. However, the chemical nature of observed oligomers and their formation pathways are still unclear. In this paper, the structural characterization of certain dimeric compounds (esters) formed during the ozonolysis of cyclohexene and cyclohexene/α-pinene mixtures are presented. The identification is based on the comparison of the mass spectra and the retention times (LC) of the oligomeric products with synthesized reference compounds. Cyclohexene is used here as a model compound for terpenes as globally most important SOA precursors, since it possesses a simpler structure than the biogenic alkenes and therefore offers the possibility to get access to reference compounds for certain of its oxidation products. In addition to cyclohexene, the formation of esters could also be observed in experiments with α-pinene as reactant.