Aqueous Phase Chemistry of Organic Aerosols
Summary
The aqueous phase chemistry of organic aerosols encompasses the series of processes by which organic vapours and particles dissolve, react and evolve within atmospheric water substrates such as cloud droplets, fog and deliquesced aerosol. In these microenvironments, water-soluble organics and semi-volatile precursors undergo radical-mediated oxidation, acid-catalysed reactions and photochemical transformations. These pathways yield low-volatility products including oligomers, organic acids, highly oxygenated molecules and light-absorbing chromophores collectively referred to as secondary organic aerosol (SOA). Aqueous processing influences aerosol mass, hygroscopicity and optical properties, with direct consequences for regional air quality, human health and the Earth’s radiative balance. Understanding these multiphase processes is essential to improve predictive models of SOA formation, to assess the climatic role of cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) activity and to inform emission control strategies. Recent advances have elucidated the molecular mechanisms of oligomerisation, functionalisation and fragmentation, highlighting the importance of cloud and fog chemistry in the life cycle of organic aerosols worldwide.
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Aqueous Phase Chemistry of Organic Aerosols publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in aqueous phase chemistry of organic aerosols across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Secondary Organic Aerosol (SOA): Organic particulate matter formed from gas-phase precursors through chemical reactions, often in the aqueous phase.
Aqueous Secondary Organic Aerosol (aqSOA): Fraction of SOA produced or processed in atmospheric water droplets or wet aerosols.
Oligomerisation: Chemical process that links small organic molecules into larger, often low-volatility, polymeric species.
Brown Carbon (BrC): Light-absorbing organic aerosol fraction containing chromophores that influence atmospheric photochemistry and radiative balance.
Cloud Condensation Nuclei (CCN): Aerosol particles that act as nuclei for cloud droplet formation, affecting cloud properties and climate.
References
- Aqueous chemistry and its role in secondary organic aerosol (SOA) formation. Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics (2010).
- Large contribution of in-cloud production of secondary organic aerosol from biomass burning emissions. npj Climate and Atmospheric Science (2024).
- Tracking the Photomineralization Mechanism in Irradiated Lab-Generated and Field-Collected Brown Carbon Samples and Its Effect on Cloud Condensation Nuclei Abilities. ACS Environmental Au (2023).
- Molecular transformations of phenolic SOA during photochemical aging in the aqueous phase: competition among oligomerization, functionalization, and fragmentation. Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics (2016).
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