Fragmentation inside proton-transfer-reaction-based mass spectrometers limits the detection of ROOR and ROOH peroxides

Proton transfer reaction (PTR) is a commonly applied ionization technique for mass spectrometers, in which hydronium ions (H3O+) transfer a proton to analytes with higher proton affinities than the water molecule. This method has most commonly been used to quantify volatile hydrocarbons, but later-generation PTR instruments have been designed for better throughput of less volatile species, allowing detection of more functionalized molecules as well. For example, the recently developed Vocus PTR time-of-flight mass spectrometer (PTR-TOF) has been shown to agree well with an iodide-adduct-based chemical ionization mass spectrometer (CIMS) for products with 3-5 O atoms from oxidation of monoterpenes (C10H16). However, while several different types of CIMS instruments (including those using iodide) detect abundant signals also at "dimeric" species, believed to be primarily ROOR peroxides, no such signals have been observed in the Vocus PTR even though these compounds fulfil the condition of having higher proton affinity than water. More traditional PTR instruments have been limited to volatile molecules as the inlets have not been designed for transmission of easily condensable species. Some newer instruments, like the Vocus PTR, have overcome this limitation but are still not able to detect the full range of functionalized products, suggesting that other limitations need to be considered. One such limitation, well-documented in PTR literature, is the tendency of protonation to lead to fragmentation of some analytes. In this work, we evaluate the potential for PTR to detect dimers and the most oxygenated compounds as these have been shown to be crucial for forming atmospheric aerosol particles. We studied the detection of dimers using a Vocus PTR-TOF in laboratory experiments, as well as through quantum chemical calculations. Only noisy signals of potential dimers were observed during experiments on the ozonolysis of the monoterpene alpha-pinene, while a few small signals of dimeric compounds were detected during the ozonolysis of cyclohexene. During the latter experiments, we also tested varying the pressures and electric fields in the ionization region of the Vocus PTR-TOF, finding that only small improvements were possible in the relative dimer contributions. Calculations for model ROOR and ROOH systems showed that most of these peroxides should fragment partially following protonation. With the inclusion of additional energy from the ion-molecule collisions driven by the electric fields in the ionization source, computational results suggest substantial or nearly complete fragmentation of dimers. Our study thus suggests that while the improved versions of PTR-based mass spectrometers are very powerful tools for measuring hydrocarbons and their moderately oxidized products, other types of CIMS are likely more suitable for the detection of ROOR and ROOH species.Peer reviewe

Atmospheric Oxidation of Imine Derivative of Piperazine Initiated by OH Radical

The cyclic imine 1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyrazine (THPyz) has been observed to be the major atmospheric photo-oxidation product of piperazine, a widely used solvent in carbon-capture technology, yet little is known about its own fate. Very few studies have focused on the atmospheric chemistry of imines in general, despite consistently appearing as major products of amine oxidation. In this work, we explore the reaction mechanism of THPyz oxidation initiated by OH radicals, as well as the fate of the first-generation C-centered (alkyl) and N-centered (aminyl) radical products, with quantum chemistry and theoretical kinetics methods. We predict that the major initial reaction steps involve H-abstraction from a carbon adjacent to the amine nitrogen, leading to subsequent formation of a second imine function via the O2-addition/HO2-elimination pathway. Calculated yields of potentially hazardous products are low but non-negligible. Typically carcinogenic compounds, nitrosamines and nitramines, are expected to have a maximum yield of -7% and -11%, respectively, under high NOx regimes, considering the uncertainties in the obtained rates. Low yield (1-14%) of an isocyanate is also predicted, formed in a channel following initial H-abstraction from the imine carbon. The aminyl radical formed from OH radical addition to the imine carbon undergoes fast C-C bond scission, leading to an imidic acid. These pathways are minor for OH radical oxidation of THPyz but could be more competitive for other Schiff bases.Peer reviewe

Computational Investigation of Substituent Effects on the Alcohol plus Carbonyl Channel of Peroxy Radical Self- and Cross-Reactions

Organic peroxy radicals (RO2) are key intermediates in atmospheric chemistry and can undergo a large variety of both uni-and bimolecular reactions. One of the least understood reaction classes of RO2 are their self-and cross-reactions: RO2 + R ' O2. In our previous work, we have investigated how RO2 + R ' O2 reactions can lead to the formation of ROOR ' accretion products through intersystem crossings and subsequent recombination of a triplet intermediate complex 3(RO center dot center dot center dot OR '). Accretion products can potentially have very low saturation vapor pressures, and may therefore participate in the formation of aerosol particles. In this work, we investigate the competing H-shift channel, which leads to the formation of more volatile carbonyl and alcohol products. This is one of the main, and sometimes the dominant, RO2 + R ' O2 reaction channels for small RO2. We investigate how substituents (R and R ' groups) affect the H-shift barriers and rates for a set of 3(RO center dot center dot center dot OR ') complexes. The variation in barrier heights and rates is found to be surprisingly small, and most computed H-shift rates are fast: around 108-109 s-1. We find that the barrier height is affected by three competing factors: (1) the weakening of the breaking C-H bond due to interactions with adjacent functional groups; (2) the overall binding energy of the 3(RO center dot center dot center dot OR '), which tends to increase the barrier height; and (3) the thermodynamic stability of the reaction products. We also calculated intersystem crossing rate coefficients (ISC) for the same systems and found that most of them were of the same order of magnitude as the H-shift rates. This suggests that both studied channels are competitive for small and medium-sized RO2. However, for complex enough R or R ' groups, the binding energy effect may render the H-shift channel uncompetitive with intersystem crossings (and thus ROOR ' formation), as the rate of the latter, while variable, seems to be largely independent of system size. This may help explain the experimental observation that accretion product formation becomes highly effective for large and multifunctional RO2.Peer reviewe

Unpacking the diversity of monoterpene oxidation pathways via nitrooxy–alkyl radical ring-opening reactions and nitrooxy–alkoxyl radical bond scissions

Terrestrial vegetation emits vast quantities of monoterpenes to the atmosphere. These compounds, once oxidized, can contribute to the formation and growth of secondary organic aerosol (SOA) particles. However, studies report widely different SOA yields from atmospheric oxidation of different monoterpenes, despite their structural similarities. The NO3-radical-initiated oxidation of α-pinene for instance, leads to minimal SOA yields, whereas with Δ-carene a high SOA yield is observed. A previous study indicated that their oxidation mechanisms diverge after formation of a nitrooxy–alkoxyl radical intermediate, whose C–C bond scission reactions can either lead to early termination of the oxidative chain, thus limiting the yield of condensable vapors, or further propagate it, leading to low-volatility products. In this study, we employ computational methods to investigate these reactions in the NO3-radical oxidation of five other monoterpenes: limonene, sabinene, β-pinene, α-thujene and camphene. Additionally, we explore the possibility of rearrangement via ring-opening of the nitrooxy-alkyl radical adducts produced immediately after NO3 radical attack. Our calculations predict that alkyl radical rearrangement is dominant over O2-addition for sabinene, minor but competitive for α-thujene and β-pinene, and negligible for camphene. These rearrangements can induce further propagation of the oxidative chain, and thus higher SOA yields. Concerning alkoxyl radical C–C bond scissions, our results indicate that endocyclic nitrate species (derived from limonene and α-thujene) react preferentially via the channel leading to oxidative chain termination, whereas exocyclic nitrate species (sabinene, β-pinene, and camphene) react preferentially via channels leading to further propagation

Unveiling an Unexpected Branching Point in α-pinene Ozonolysis via Molecular Dynamics Guided Reaction Discovery

Secondary organic aerosols (SOAs) significantly impact Earth’s climate and human health. Although the oxidation of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) has been recognized as the major contributor to the atmospheric SOA budget, the mechanisms by which this process produces SOA-forming highly oxygenated organic molecules (HOMs) remain unclear. A major challenge is navigating the complex chemical landscape of these transformations, which traditional hypothesis-driven methods fail to thoroughly investigate. Here, we explored the oxidation of α-pinene, a critical atmospheric biogenic VOC, using a novel reaction discovery approach based on ab initio molecular dynamics and state-of-the-art enhanced sampling techniques. Our approach successfully identified all established reaction pathways of α-pinene ozonolysis, as well as discovered multiple novel species and pathways without relying on a priori chemical knowledge. In particular, we unveiled an unexpected branching point that leads to the rapid formation of alkoxy radicals, whose high and diverse reactivity help to explain hitherto unexplained oxidation pathways suggested by mass spectral peaks observed in α-pinene ozonolysis experiments. This branching point is likely prevalent across a variety of atmospheric VOCs and could be crucial in establishing the missing link to SOA-forming HOMs

Towards automated inclusion of autoxidation chemistry in models: from precursors to atmospheric implications†

<jats:p>Demonstration of a novel framework producing autoxidation chemistry reaction schemes: an exemplary application for benzene.</jats:p&gt