Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are key precursors in soot formation, but the reactions leading to clustering in the particulate phase remain under debate. Here, the authors study PAH radical-driven pathways using synchrotron-based and mass-selected vacuum ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy and show that early clustering might be driven by π-delocalized radicals, while more localized radicals might contribute to covalent cross-linking during later stages of soot inception.
- X. Mercier
- J. Bourgalais
- G. A. Garcia
