Chamber studies of OH + dimethyl sulfoxide and dimethyl disulfide: insights into the dimethyl sulfide oxidation mechanism

<p>The oxidation of dimethyl sulfide (DMS) in the marine atmosphere represents an important natural source of non-sea-salt sulfate aerosol, but the chemical mechanisms underlying this process remain uncertain. While recent studies have focused on the role of the peroxy radical isomerization ch...

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Main Authors: M. B. Goss, J. H. Kroll
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Copernicus Publications 2024-01-01
Series:Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics
Online Access:https://acp.copernicus.org/articles/24/1299/2024/acp-24-1299-2024.pdf
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author M. B. Goss
J. H. Kroll
J. H. Kroll
author_facet M. B. Goss
J. H. Kroll
J. H. Kroll
author_sort M. B. Goss
collection DOAJ
description <p>The oxidation of dimethyl sulfide (DMS) in the marine atmosphere represents an important natural source of non-sea-salt sulfate aerosol, but the chemical mechanisms underlying this process remain uncertain. While recent studies have focused on the role of the peroxy radical isomerization channel in DMS oxidation, this work revisits the impact of the other channels (OH addition and OH abstraction followed by bimolecular RO<span class="inline-formula"><sub>2</sub></span> reaction) on aerosol formation from DMS. Due to the presence of common intermediate species, the oxidation of dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) and dimethyl disulfide (DMDS) can shed light on these two DMS reaction channels; they are also both atmospherically relevant species in their own right. This work examines the OH oxidation of DMSO and DMDS, using chamber experiments monitored by chemical ionization mass spectrometry and aerosol mass spectrometry to study the full range of sulfur-containing products across a range of NO concentrations. The oxidation of both compounds is found to lead to rapid aerosol formation (which does not involve the intermediate formation of SO<span class="inline-formula"><sub>2</sub></span>), with a substantial fraction (14 %–47 % S yield for DMSO and 5 %–21 % for DMDS) of reacted sulfur ending up in the particle phase and the highest yields observed under elevated NO conditions. Aerosol is observed to consist mainly of sulfate, methanesulfonic acid, and methanesulfinic acid. In the gas phase, the NO<span class="inline-formula"><sub><i>x</i></sub></span> dependence of several products, including SO<span class="inline-formula"><sub>2</sub></span> and S<span class="inline-formula"><sub>2</sub></span>-containing organosulfur species, suggest reaction pathways not included in current mechanisms. Based on the commonalities with the DMS oxidation mechanism, DMSO and DMDS results are used to reconstruct DMS aerosol yields; these reconstructions roughly match DMS aerosol yield measurements from the literature but differ in composition, underscoring remaining uncertainties in sulfur chemistry. This work indicates that both the abstraction and addition channels contribute to rapid aerosol formation from DMS and highlights the need for more study into the fate of small sulfur radical intermediates (e.g., CH<span class="inline-formula"><sub>3</sub></span>S, CH<span class="inline-formula"><sub>3</sub></span>SO<span class="inline-formula"><sub>2</sub></span>, and CH<span class="inline-formula"><sub>3</sub></span>SO<span class="inline-formula"><sub>3</sub></span>) that are thought to play central roles in the DMS oxidation mechanism.</p>
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spelling doaj.art-7c8ee63582fa42488295b247dec279232024-01-30T08:02:22ZengCopernicus PublicationsAtmospheric Chemistry and Physics1680-73161680-73242024-01-01241299131410.5194/acp-24-1299-2024Chamber studies of OH&thinsp;+&thinsp;dimethyl sulfoxide and dimethyl disulfide: insights into the dimethyl sulfide oxidation mechanismM. B. Goss0J. H. Kroll1J. H. Kroll2Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USADepartment of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USADepartment of Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA<p>The oxidation of dimethyl sulfide (DMS) in the marine atmosphere represents an important natural source of non-sea-salt sulfate aerosol, but the chemical mechanisms underlying this process remain uncertain. While recent studies have focused on the role of the peroxy radical isomerization channel in DMS oxidation, this work revisits the impact of the other channels (OH addition and OH abstraction followed by bimolecular RO<span class="inline-formula"><sub>2</sub></span> reaction) on aerosol formation from DMS. Due to the presence of common intermediate species, the oxidation of dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) and dimethyl disulfide (DMDS) can shed light on these two DMS reaction channels; they are also both atmospherically relevant species in their own right. This work examines the OH oxidation of DMSO and DMDS, using chamber experiments monitored by chemical ionization mass spectrometry and aerosol mass spectrometry to study the full range of sulfur-containing products across a range of NO concentrations. The oxidation of both compounds is found to lead to rapid aerosol formation (which does not involve the intermediate formation of SO<span class="inline-formula"><sub>2</sub></span>), with a substantial fraction (14 %–47 % S yield for DMSO and 5 %–21 % for DMDS) of reacted sulfur ending up in the particle phase and the highest yields observed under elevated NO conditions. Aerosol is observed to consist mainly of sulfate, methanesulfonic acid, and methanesulfinic acid. In the gas phase, the NO<span class="inline-formula"><sub><i>x</i></sub></span> dependence of several products, including SO<span class="inline-formula"><sub>2</sub></span> and S<span class="inline-formula"><sub>2</sub></span>-containing organosulfur species, suggest reaction pathways not included in current mechanisms. Based on the commonalities with the DMS oxidation mechanism, DMSO and DMDS results are used to reconstruct DMS aerosol yields; these reconstructions roughly match DMS aerosol yield measurements from the literature but differ in composition, underscoring remaining uncertainties in sulfur chemistry. This work indicates that both the abstraction and addition channels contribute to rapid aerosol formation from DMS and highlights the need for more study into the fate of small sulfur radical intermediates (e.g., CH<span class="inline-formula"><sub>3</sub></span>S, CH<span class="inline-formula"><sub>3</sub></span>SO<span class="inline-formula"><sub>2</sub></span>, and CH<span class="inline-formula"><sub>3</sub></span>SO<span class="inline-formula"><sub>3</sub></span>) that are thought to play central roles in the DMS oxidation mechanism.</p>https://acp.copernicus.org/articles/24/1299/2024/acp-24-1299-2024.pdf
spellingShingle M. B. Goss
J. H. Kroll
J. H. Kroll
Chamber studies of OH&thinsp;+&thinsp;dimethyl sulfoxide and dimethyl disulfide: insights into the dimethyl sulfide oxidation mechanism
Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics
title Chamber studies of OH&thinsp;+&thinsp;dimethyl sulfoxide and dimethyl disulfide: insights into the dimethyl sulfide oxidation mechanism
title_full Chamber studies of OH&thinsp;+&thinsp;dimethyl sulfoxide and dimethyl disulfide: insights into the dimethyl sulfide oxidation mechanism
title_fullStr Chamber studies of OH&thinsp;+&thinsp;dimethyl sulfoxide and dimethyl disulfide: insights into the dimethyl sulfide oxidation mechanism
title_full_unstemmed Chamber studies of OH&thinsp;+&thinsp;dimethyl sulfoxide and dimethyl disulfide: insights into the dimethyl sulfide oxidation mechanism
title_short Chamber studies of OH&thinsp;+&thinsp;dimethyl sulfoxide and dimethyl disulfide: insights into the dimethyl sulfide oxidation mechanism
title_sort chamber studies of oh thinsp thinsp dimethyl sulfoxide and dimethyl disulfide insights into the dimethyl sulfide oxidation mechanism
url https://acp.copernicus.org/articles/24/1299/2024/acp-24-1299-2024.pdf
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