Peroxyacyl Nitrates (PANs): Their Physical and Chemical Properties

Abstract

Peroxyacyl nitrates (PANs) are important organic indicators of tropospheric chemical processes. In this chapter, our current understanding of the chemical and physical properties of PANs are reviewed. After a brief discussion of the discovery of peroxyacetyl nitrate (PAN), their synthesis and physical and chemical properties are examined. Measurement techniques and sampling methodologies of PANs are presented. Their formation and importance in atmospheric chemistry is discussed in terms of urban, regional, and global scales. Our knowledge of the toxicity of PANs is examined, followed by some suggestions for further study of PANs and associated organic peroxides, peracids, and organonitrates.