Spontaneous dark formation of OH radicals at the interface of aqueous atmospheric droplets.
basic_science · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 37011187.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1073/pnas.2220228120 and PMC identifier 10104570.
- Licence recorded as CC BY-NC-ND.
- Because redistribution is not established, this page shows the abstract only. Follow the links below for the full text.
Abstract
Hydroxyl radical (OH) is a key oxidant that triggers atmospheric oxidation chemistry in both gas and aqueous phases. The current understanding of its aqueous sources is mainly based on known bulk (photo)chemical processes, uptake from gaseous OH, or related to interfacial O<sub>3</sub> and NO<sub>3</sub> radical-driven chemistry. Here, we present experimental evidence that OH radicals are spontaneously produced at the air-water interface of aqueous droplets in the dark and the absence of known precursors, possibly due to the strong electric field that forms at such interfaces. The measured OH production rates in atmospherically relevant droplets are comparable to or significantly higher than those from known aqueous bulk sources, especially in the dark. As aqueous droplets are ubiquitous in the troposphere, this interfacial source of OH radicals should significantly impact atmospheric multiphase oxidation chemistry, with substantial implications on air quality, climate, and health.