An important pathway for ozonolysis of alpha-pinene and beta-pinene in aqueous phase and its atmospheric implications

The aqueous ozonolysis of α-pinene and β-pinene was conducted under simulated tropospheric conditions at different pHs and temperatures. Three kinds of products, peroxides, carbonyl compounds, and organic acids, were well characterized, and the detection of these products provides effective evidence for understanding the atmospheric aqueous reaction pathway. We have two interesting findings: (1) the unexpected formation of methacrolein (MACR), with a yield of ∼40%, in the α-pinene–O3 aqueous reaction indicates a potentially new SOA formation pathway, because MACR is one of the important precursors of SOA; and (2) the surprisingly high yields of H2O2, ∼60% for the α-pinene–O3 reaction and ∼100% for the β-pinene–O3 reaction, indicates that H2O2 can be a significant contributor to the origin and transformation of oxidants in the atmosphere, especially in the humid regions. Moreover, we have determined the rate constant for aqueous reaction between MACR and H2O2 in pH 2 to 7 and obtained its upper limit as 0.13 M L−1 s−1. A mechanism concerning the formation of the species mentioned above is proposed, and it differs from that in the gas-phase reaction. We suggest that water plays a key role in the mechanism, by participating in the reactions as a direct reactant and by removing the excess energy of intermediates formed in the reactions.