The photoreactivity of single particles with atmospheric interest was studied by using an acoustic levitation system coupled to Raman microspectrometry. Both, inorganic and organic single particle phototransformation has been investigated without any surface contact. The Raman microspectrometry has suitably provided the identification, the chemical heterogeneity as well as the formation rates of products. Complex surface limited processes are demonstrated for photolysis of both nitrate‐rich and sulfur‐rich droplets. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

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A novel experimental approach to study the hygroscopic properties of multi-component inorganic aerosols was demonstrated using a laser trapping technique. The efflorescence and deliquescence phase transitions of the equimolar mixture of NaCl and NaNO3 particles levitated in air were reversibly induced by controlling relative humidity. The two-stage phase transitions of the particles during the dehumidifying and humidifying processes were successfully observed in air. To our knowledge, this is the first experimental result to observe the reversible hygroscopic behavior of single optically-levitated multi-component inorganic aerosols in air. Furthermore, to elucidate the influence of solid substrates on the homogeneous and heterogeneous nucleation processes, the efflorescence relative humidity (ERH) and mutual efflorescence relative humidity (MERH) in air were compared with those observed on a hydrophobic glass substrate. The average ERH and MERH values of the NaCl–NaNO3 particles levitated in air were lower than those obtained for the particles deposited on the hydrophobic glass substrate.

The IR spectrum of methyl thioglycolate (MTG) was studied in three different phases, and interpreted with the aid of DFT calculations. The gas phase IR spectrum was explainable by the presence of the most stable conformer (syn-gauche-(-)gauche) only, while the IR spectrum of the liquid reveals strong intermolecular interactions, coincident with the formation of a dimeric form. The matrix-isolated spectra allow the identification of the second conformer (syn-gauche-gauche), in addition to the most stable form. The MTG dimer was also isolated by increasing the proportion of MTG in the matrix. The theoretical most stable structure of the dimer, which calculated IR spectrum agrees very well with the experimental one, is stabilized by a double interaction of the lone pair of the O atom of each of the C]O groups with the antibonding orbitals s* (SeH).