Abstract. β-caryophyllene (BCP) is one of the most important
sesquiterpenes (SQTs) in the atmosphere, with a large potential contribution
to secondary organic aerosol (SOA) formation mainly from reactions with
ozone (O3) and nitrate radicals (NO3). In this work, we study the
temperature dependence of the kinetics of BCP ozonolysis, SOA yields, and
SOA chemical composition in the dark and in the absence and presence of
nitrogen oxides including nitrate radicals (NO3). We cover a
temperature range of 213–313 K, representative of tropospheric
conditions. The oxidized components in both gas and particle phases were
characterized on a molecular level by a chemical ionization mass
spectrometer equipped with a filter inlet for gases and aerosols using
iodide as the reagent ion (FIGAERO-iodide-CIMS). The batch mode experiments
were conducted in the 84.5 m3 aluminium simulation chamber AIDA at the
Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT). In the absence of nitrogen oxides,
the temperature-dependent rate coefficient of the endocyclic double bond in
BCP reacting with ozone between 243–313 K is negatively correlated with
temperature, corresponding to the following Arrhenius equation: k=
(1.6 ± 0.4) × 10−15 × exp((559 ± 97)/T).
The SOA yields increase from 16 ± 5 % to 37 ± 11 %, with
temperatures decreasing from 313 to 243 K at a total organic particle mass
of 10 µg m−3. The variation in the ozonolysis temperature leads
to a substantial impact on the abundance of individual organic molecules. In
the absence of nitrogen oxides, monomers C14−15H22−24O3−7
(37.4 %), dimers C28−30H44−48O5−9 (53.7 %), and
trimers C41−44H62−66O9−11 (8.6 %) are abundant in the
particle phase at 213 K. At 313 K, we observed more oxidized monomers (mainly
C14−15H22−24O6−9, 67.5 %) and dimers (mainly
C27−29H42−44O9−11, 27.6 %), including highly oxidized
molecules (HOMs; C14H22O7,9, C15H22O7,9C15H24O7,9), which can be formed via hydrogen shift
mechanisms, but no significant trimers. In the presence of nitrogen oxides, the
organonitrate fraction increased from 3 % at 213 K to 12 % and 49 %
at 243 and 313 K, respectively. Most of the organonitrates were monomers
with C15 skeletons and only one nitrate group. More highly oxygenated
organonitrates were observed at higher temperatures, with their
signal-weighted O:C atomic ratio increasing from 0.41 to 0.51 from 213 to
313 K. New dimeric and trimeric organic species without nitrogen atoms
(C20, C35) were formed in the presence of nitrogen oxides at 298–313 K,
indicating potential new reaction pathways. Overall, our results show that
increasing temperatures lead to a relatively small decrease in the rate
coefficient of the endocyclic double bond in BCP reacting with ozone but to
a strong decrease in SOA yields. In contrast, the formation of HOMs and
organonitrates increases significantly with temperature.