Research

Atmospheric Oxidative Chemistry of Organic Particulate Emissions from Fuel Combustion

Principal Investigator: Dr. Giuseppe Petrucci (Department of Chemistry)
Funding Agency: US DOT

Project Summary

Experimental studies are proposed to investigate the oxidative processing by hydroxyl radical and ozone of organic nitrogen compounds common to particulate vehicular emissions. Specifically, the researchers seek to determine the reactive trends of particulate organic nitrogen with both ozone and the hydroxyl radical.

In addition to flow reactor measurements (i.e., high oxidant concentrations and fast reaction times), we will conduct reactions in an environmental chamber, to more closely approximate atmospheric conditions of low oxidant concentrations and long reaction times, permitting comparison of the two exposure regimes for the first time. These data are needed because almost nothing is known regarding the heterogeneous oxidation of particulate nitrogen in the atmosphere by ozone and very little is known about the OH oxidation of organic particles in general and particulate organic nitrogen specifically.