Acid clusters

Conference · Tue Apr 01 00:00:00 EST 1986 · Am. Chem. Soc., Div. Pet. Chem., Prepr.; (United States)

OSTI ID:5580201

Keesee, R G; Castleman, Jr, A W

Molecular clusters can be considered to be the smallest size range of an aerosol particle size distribution. Nucleation from the gas phase to particles or droplets involves the formation of clusters in the initial stages. Consequently, knowledge of the properties and formation of clusters containing acids contribute to an understanding of acid rain. This paper presents an overview of results obtained in the laboratory on the formation and stability of both neutral and ionized acid clusters. With free jet expansion techniques, the authors have produced clusters of aqueous nitric acid, aqueous hydrochloric acid, aqueous sulfuric acid, acetic acid and aqueous sulfur dioxide. For analogy to buffering, the formation of clusters containing ammonia have also been examined. These have included ammonia with aqueous nitric acid, hydrogen sulfide and sulfur dioxide. The basic experiment involves expansion of vapor through a nozzle, collimation of the jet with a skimmer to form a well-directed molecular beam, and detection of clusters via electron impact ionization and mass spectrometry. Some variations include the introduction of a reactive gas into vacuum near the expansion as described elsewhere and the implementation of an electrostatic quadrupolar field to examine the polarity of the neutral clusters.

• Research Organization: Dept. of Chemistry, Pennsylvania State Univ., University Park, PA 16802
• OSTI ID: 5580201
• Report Number(s): CONF-860425-
• Journal Information: Am. Chem. Soc., Div. Pet. Chem., Prepr.; (United States), Vol. 31:2; Conference: 191. American Chemical Society national meeting, New York, NY, USA, 13 Apr 1986
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
ACID RAIN
STRUCTURAL CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
ACETIC ACID
AEROSOLS
AMMONIA
CHEMICAL REACTION KINETICS
HYDROCHLORIC ACID
INORGANIC ACIDS
ION PAIRS
MASS SPECTROSCOPY
NITRIC ACID
NITROGEN OXIDES
ORGANIC ACIDS
PARTICLE SIZE
SULFUR DIOXIDE
SULFURIC ACID
ATMOSPHERIC PRECIPITATIONS
CARBOXYLIC ACIDS
CHALCOGENIDES
COLLOIDS
DISPERSIONS
HYDRIDES
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
KINETICS
MONOCARBOXYLIC ACIDS
NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
NITROGEN HYDRIDES
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
RAIN
REACTION KINETICS
SIZE
SOLS
SPECTROSCOPY
SULFUR COMPOUNDS
SULFUR OXIDES
500200* - Environment
Atmospheric- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport- (-1989)