ATMOSPHERIC CHEMISTRY OF ALKANES RECENT DEVELOPMENTS Roger Atkinson and Janet Arey Air Pollution Research Center University of California Riverside, CA 92521 UC Davis, December 2006
Alkanes 50-60% of reformulated gasolines and of VOCs in vehicle exhaust. 50% of non-methane VOCs in air in urban areas. React with OH radicals (dominant) and NO 3 radicals (generally minor) in the troposphere. Lifetimes of C 3 -C 10 alkanes range from 1 day (n-decane) to 10 days (propane, neopentane).
OH + propane in the atmosphere OH + CH 3 CH 2 CH 3 CH 3 CHCH 3 O 2 (CH 3 ) 2 CHOOH HO 2 (CH 3 ) 2 CHOO NO 2 (CH 3 ) 2 CHOONO 2 RO 2 NO (CH 3 ) 2 CO + (CH 3 ) 2 CHOH (CH 3 ) 2 CHONO 2 (CH 3 ) 2 CHO + NO 2 decomposition O 2 CH 3 CHO + HCHO (CH 3 ) 2 CO
Product yields (as of 1982-1994) alkane % carbonyls % nitrates % missing n-butane 84 8 8 n-pentane 30 12 58 n-hexane low 21 high From data in Carter et al., 1976; Atkinson et al., 1982.
Missing products postulated to be 1,4-hydroxycarbonyls, formed after alkoxy radical isomerization (Carter et al., 1976) CH 3 CH(O)CH 2 CH 2 CH 3 O 2 CH 3 C(O)CH 2 CH 2 CH 3 isomerization decomposition CH 3 HC O H CH 3 CHO + CH 3 CH 2 CH 2 H 2 C CH2 CH 2 CH 3 CH 2 CHO CH 3 CH(OH)CH 2 CH 2 CH 2 CH 3 CH(OH)CH 2 CH 2 CH 2 ONO 2 (second isomerization) CH 3 C(O)CH 2 CH 2 CH 2 OH 1,4-hydroxycarbonyl
Progress 1995-2001 Eberhard et al. (1995) identified 5- hydroxy-2-hexanone as a product of OH + n-hexane and from 2-hexyl nitrite photolysis by HPLC after derivatization. We observed hydroxycarbonyls from OH + C 4 -C 8 n-alkanes using API-MS analyses in positive ion mode (Atkinson et al., 1995; Kwok et al., 1996) and in negative ion mode as NO 2- adducts (Arey et al., 2001).
Product yields (%) in air at 5% RH alkane carbonyls nitrates hydroxynitrates hydroxycarbonyls n-pentane 50 10.5 36 2.6 n-hexane 10 14 53 4.6 n-heptane <1 18 46 4.7 n-octane <1 23 27 5.4 Carbonyl data from 1995-96 studies
Solid-Phase MicroExtraction fibers Can be coated with a chemical for on-fiber derivatization of carbonyl-containing compounds. F F CH 2 ONH 2 + O C R F F CH 2 ON C R R' F F R' F F F PFBHA F oxime + H 2 O
Fibers are retractable. After coating with PFBHA, the fibers are exposed to the chamber contents with the chamber mixing fan on for typically 5 min. Fiber, 20 mm long
The mass spectra from GC-MS analyses of the OH radical-initiated reactions of C 5 -C 8 n-alkanes allowed 1,4-hydroxycarbonyls to be identified. In the presence of NO, all possible 1,4- hydroxycarbonyls are formed: 2 from n-pentane (5-hydroxy-2-pentanone is commercially available). 3 from n-hexane. 4 from n-heptane. 5 from n-octane.
10-12 x [Hydroxycarbonyl] corr, molecule cm -3 2.0 1.5 1.0 0.5 0.0 OH + n-octane 0 1 2 3 4 5 10-12 x [n-octane] reacted, molecule cm -3 6-hydroxy-3- + 5- hydroxy-2-octanone Open: 50% RH Blue: 5% RH 1 st Red, 5% RH, 2nd 7-hydroxy-4-octanone 4-hydroxyoctanal
Product yields (%) in air at 50% RH alkane carbonyls nitrates hydroxynitrates hydroxycarbonyls n-pentane 50 10.5 54 (36) 2.6 n-hexane 10 14 57 (53) 4.6 n-heptane <1 18 51 (46) 4.7 n-octane <1 23 53 (27) 5.4 Yields in parentheses from API-MS in air at 3-5% RH
OH + alkane products For C 5 n-alkanes at room temperature, if alkoxy radical isomerization can occur it dominates, leading in the presence of NO to 1,4-hydroxynitrates and 1,4- hydroxycarbonyls. For larger n-alkanes, products are then alkyl nitrates, 1,4-hydroxynitrates and 1,4- hydroxycarbonyls.
Effect of branching on product distribution: (TMP, trimethylpentane; DEH, diethylhexane) alkane from O 2 reaction from decomp. from isomer. n-octane <1% <1% 75% 2,2,4-TMP 40% 11% 2,3,4-TMP 50-55% 25-30% 2,3-DEH 73% 16%
Atmospheric behavior of 1,4- hydroxycarbonyls: 5-hydroxy-2-pentanone This is the only 1,4-hydroxycarbonyl commercially available. Can be monitored by FT-IR spectroscopy and its atmospheric chemistry studied (so we thought!).
FT-IR spectra of a 5-hydroxy-2-pentanone N 2 mixture 1.00 5-Hydroxy-2-pentanone ABSORBANCE 0.80 0.60 0.40 After 70 min Product Lifetime of 5H2PO = 1.1 hr at 298 K in dry air. 0.20 4,5-Dihydro-2-methylfuran 0.00 650 850 1050 1250 1450 1650 1850 WAVENUMBER (cm -1 )
4,5-Dihydro-2-methylfuran is stable in dry air but converts back to 5H2PO at 5% relative humidity, with a lifetime of 3.5 hr. CH 3 C(O)CH 2 CH 2 CH 2 OH 5-hydroxy-2-pentanone O OH CH 3 O CH 3 + H 2 O 4,5-dihydro-2-methylfuran
Reactions of 5-hydroxy-2-pentanone (5H2PO) and 4,5-dihydro-2-methylfuran (45DH2MF) Reactions of 4,5-dihydro-2-methylfuran with OH and NO 3 radicals and O 3 studied in dry air using FT-IR. Used coated-spme fibers to study the OH radical reaction with 5-hydroxy-2- pentanone at 5% RH.
4,5-Dihydro-2-methylfuran reacts very rapidly with OH radicals, NO 3 radicals, and O 3, with room temperature rate constants (cm 3 molecule -1 s -1 ) of: OH NO 3 O 3 5H2PO 1.6 x 10-11 45DH2MF 2.2 x 10-10 1.7 x 10-10 3.5 x 10-15 Daytime lifetimes are then: n-pentane, 1.5 days (OH) 5-hydroxy-2-pentanone, 9 hr (OH) 4,5-dihydro-2-methylfuran, 38 min (OH), 7 min (O 3 )
Behavior of 1,4-hydroxycarbonyls as a function of water vapor concentration Generate the 1,4-hydroxycarbonyls in situ from OH + n-alkane. Monitor the 1,4-hydroxycarbonyl concentrations by coated-spme/gc-fid. Add O 3 later in the experiment to remove (by reaction) any dihydrofurans present.
OH + n-octane, 5% RH, [H 2 O] = 3 x 10 16 molecule cm -3 1.2 [1,4-Hydroxycarbonyl] t /[1,4-Hydroxycarbonyl] to 0.8 0.4 4-Hydroxyoctanal 6-Hydroxy-3-octanone 5-Hydroxy-2-octanone 7-Hydroxy-4-octanone Blue: before O 3 addition Red: after O 3 addition Conversion rate 0.1 min -1 0.0 0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 Time (min)
OH + n-hexane (27% RH) and n-heptane (15% RH) n-hexane reaction [1,4-Hydroxycarbonyl] t /[1,4-Hydroxycarbonyl] to 1.5 1.0 0.5 n-heptane reaction Blue: before O 3 addition Red: after O 3 addition 0.0 0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 Time (min)
Relative humidities where dihydrofuran formation is important 7-Hydroxy-4-octanone 6-Hydroxy-3-octanone 5-Hydroxy-2-octanone n-octane 4-Hydroxyoctanal 1-Hydroxy-4-heptanone 6-Hydroxy-3-heptanone 5-Hydroxy-2-heptanone n-heptane 4-Hydroxyheptanal 6-Hydroxy-3-hexanone 5-Hydroxy-2-hexanone n-hexane 4-Hydroxyhexanal 5-Hydroxy-2-pentanone 4-Hydroxypentanal n-pentane 0 10 20 30 40 50 Relative humidity (%) at 296 K
In summary, for n-pentane in the presence of NO: CH 3 (CH 2 ) 3 CH 3 OH Pentyl nitrates CH 3 C(O)CH 2 CH 2 CH 3 CH 3 CH 2 C(O)CH 2 CH 3 CH 3 CH(OH)CH 2 CH 2 CH 2 ONO 2 CH 3 C(O)CH 2 CH 2 CH 2 OH OH CH 3 C(O)CH 2 CHO CH 3 C(O)CH 2 CH 2 CHO faster reacting H 2 O O CH 3 OH NO 3 O 3 Products, including aerosol from larger alkanes
OH + alkanes in the absence of NO x OH + RH H 2 O + R O 2 RO 2 HO 2 RO 2 alcohol + carbonyl ROOH decomp carbonyl + R 1 RO O 2 carbonyl isom 1,4-hydroxycarbonyl 1,4-diol 1,4-hydroxyhydroperoxide
Generate OH radicals from O 3 + alkene. Observe the same 1,4-hydroxycarbonyls as in the presence of NO, but in 10-fold lower yields (as expected). Observe pentanones and pentanols from n-pentane in 30% yield (39% from Cl atom-initiated reaction). Also observe 1,4-dicarbonyls such as CH 3 C(O)CH 2 CH 2 CHO ( 5% yield) from n-pentane. It is not obvious how these are formed, unless from dehydration of CH 3 C(O)CH 2 CH 2 CH 2 OOH which then implies isomerization of CH 3 CH(OH)CH 2 CH 2 CH 2 OO radicals.
SOA from OH + alkanes Paul Ziemann and his group conclude: SOA formation due, at least in part, to formation of dihydrofurans and their further reaction with OH radicals to form substituted tetrahydrofurans. SOA yields in absence of NO x are lower than in presence of NO x, consistent with lower formation yields of 1,4-hydroxycarbonyls (and therefore of dihydrofurans) in the absence of NO x.
Acknowledgements Sara M. Aschmann Jillian Baker Tamara Holt Fabienne Riesen Dr. Pilar Martin Dr. Ernesto C. Tuazon National Science Foundation California Air Resources Board