A study on the influence of inorganic ions, organic carbon and microstructure on the hygroscopic property of soot

Abstract

Soot is a crucial component of aerosols in the atmosphere. Understanding the hygroscopicity of soot particles is important for studying their role as cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) as well as their chemical behavior and atmospheric lifetime. However, there is still a lack of comprehensive understanding regarding the factors that determine the hygroscopic properties of soot. In this work, the hygroscopic behavior of soot particles generated from different types of fuel combustion and aged with SO2 for varying durations was measured by a vapor sorption analyzer. Various characterizations of soot were conducted to understand the key factors that influence the hygroscopic properties of soot. It was found that water-soluble substances in soot facilitate the completion of monolayer water adsorption at low relative humidity and increase the number of water adsorption layers at high relative humidity. On the other hand, soot prepared from fuel burning typically lacks water-soluble inorganic ions, and their hygroscopicity is primarily influenced by organic carbon (OC) and microstructure. Furthermore, the hygroscopicity of soot can be enhanced by the formation of sulfate due to heterogeneous oxidation of SO2. These finding sheds light on the critical factors that affect soot hygroscopicity during water adsorption and allows for estimating the interaction between water molecules and soot particles in a humid atmosphere.