Photosensitised humic-like substances (HULIS) formation processes of atmospheric significance: a review

Abstract

Photosensitised reactions can produce compounds that closely resemble the humic-like substances (HULIS) occurring in atmospheric aerosols. The relevant processes have been observed in the laboratory, in both gas–solid systems and the aqueous phase. They involve triplet sensitisers (such as benzophenones, anthraquinones and nitroaromatic compounds, which yield reactive triplet states after sunlight absorption) or photogenerated oxidants like •OH, in the presence of substrates that undergo oligomerisation reactions upon oxidation. Formation of higher molecular weight compounds, modification of the wettability properties of organic films and photoproduction of substances with humic-like fluorescence properties have been observed as a consequence of the photosensitised reactions. Ozone plays an important but still not completely clear role in gas–solid systems.