Significance It was found that shining natural or artificial sunlight on concentrated solutions of sulfate ions mixed with organics, a mixture commonly found in atmospheric aerosol particles, can generate sulfur-containing… Click to show full abstract
Significance It was found that shining natural or artificial sunlight on concentrated solutions of sulfate ions mixed with organics, a mixture commonly found in atmospheric aerosol particles, can generate sulfur-containing radicals under a variety of conditions. This reaction has not previously been characterized in atmospheric chemistry. These reactive radicals can subsequently degrade organic compounds in atmospheric particles, forming a variety of products that stay in the particle water and small molecules that are volatile enough to partition to the gas phase. In particular, this source of sulfur radicals can produce surface-active organosulfates and organic acids.
               
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