Download or read book In Situ Secondary Organic Aerosol Formation from Ambient Pine Forest Air Using an Oxidation Flow Reactor written by and published by . This book was released on 2016 with total page 28 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Real time Measurements of Secondary Organic Aerosol Formation and Aging from Ambient Air in an Oxidation Flow Reactor in the Los Angeles Area written by and published by . This book was released on 2016 with total page 23 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Modeling the Formation and Evolution of Secondary Organic Aerosol During CalNex 2010 written by José Luis Jiménez and published by . This book was released on 2015 with total page 120 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Secondary Organic Aerosol Formation from Aromatic Hydrocarbons written by Chen Song and published by . This book was released on 2006 with total page 532 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Properties of Secondary Organic Aerosol in the Ambient Atmosphere written by Christopher James Hennigan and published by . This book was released on 2008 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This thesis characterizes properties of ambient secondary organic aerosol (SOA), an important and abundant component of particulate matter. The findings presented in this thesis are significant because they represent the results from ambient measurements, which are relatively scarce, and because they report on properties of SOA that, until now, were highly uncertain. The analyses utilized the fraction of particulate organic carbon that was soluble in water (WSOCp) to approximate SOA concentrations in two largely different urban environments, Mexico City and Atlanta. In Mexico City, measurements of atmospheric gases and fine particle chemistry were made at a site ~ 30 km down wind of the city center. Using box model analyses and a comparison to ammonium nitrate aerosol, a species whose thermodynamic properties are generally understood, the morning formation and mid-day evaporation of SOA are investigated. In Atlanta, simultaneous measurements of WSOCp and water-soluble organic carbon in the gas phase (WSOCg) were carried out for an entire summer to investigate the sources and partitioning of WSOC. The results suggest that both WSOCp and WSOCg were secondary and biogenic, except possibly in several strong biomass burning events. The gas/particle partitioning of WSOC in Atlanta was investigated through the parameter, Fp, which represented the fraction of WSOC in the particle phase. Factors that appear to influence WSOC partitioning in Atlanta include ambient relative humidity and the WSOCp mass concentration. There was also a relationship between the NOx concentration and Fp, though this was not likely related to the partitioning process. Temperature did not appear to impact Fp, though this may have been due to positive relationships WSOCp and WSOCg each exhibited with temperature. Neither the total Organic Carbon aerosol mass concentration nor the ozone concentration impacted WSOC partitioning.

Download or read book Influence of Environmental Parameters on Secondary Organic Aerosol Formation written by Bethany A. Warren and published by . This book was released on 2008 with total page 414 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Impacts of Controlling Reactivity and Temperature on Advanced Study of Secondary Organic Aerosol Formation written by Mary Elizabeth Kacarab and published by . This book was released on 2016 with total page 131 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Secondary organic aerosol (SOA) is formed via the oxidation of volatile organic compounds emitted to the atmosphere from both biogenic and anthropogenic sources. Due to the complexity of atmospheric composition and range of ambient conditions, aerosol models, which are mostly based off observed yields from controlled laboratory chamber experiments, greatly underestimate global SOA formation. To increase the understanding of the formation and properties of ambient SOA, it is imperative to explore ways to improve the complexity of chamber studies while still maintaining a level of control not found outside of the laboratory.

Download or read book Mechanisms of Formation of Secondary Organic Aerosols and Implications for Global Radiative Forcing written by and published by . This book was released on 2011 with total page 15 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Organic material constitutes about 50% of global atmospheric aerosol mass, and the dominant source of organic aerosol is the oxidation of volatile hydrocarbons, to produce secondary organic aerosol (SOA). Understanding the formation of SOA is crucial to predicting present and future climate effects of atmospheric aerosols. The goal of this program is to significantly increase our understanding of secondary organic aerosol (SOA) formation in the atmosphere. Ambient measurements indicate that the amount of SOA in the atmosphere exceeds that predicted in current models based on existing laboratory chamber data. This would suggest that either the SOA yields measured in laboratory chambers are understated or that all major organic precursors have not been identified. In this research program we are systematically exploring these possibilities.

Download or read book The Aging of Organic Aerosol in the Atmosphere written by Sean Herbert Kessler and published by . This book was released on 2013 with total page 134 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The immense chemical complexity of atmospheric organic particulate matter ("aerosol") has left the general field of condensed-phase atmospheric organic chemistry relatively under-developed when compared with either gas-phase chemistry or the formation of inorganic compounds. In this work, we endeavor to improve the general understanding of the narrow class of oxidation reactions that occur at the interface between the particle surface and the gas-phase. The heterogeneous oxidation of pure erythritol (C4H1 00 4 ) and levoglucosan (C6H1 00 5) particles by hydroxyl radical (OH) was studied first in order to evaluate the effects of atmospheric aging on the mass and chemical composition of atmospheric organic aerosol, particularly that resembling fresh secondary organic aerosol (SOA) and biomass-burning organic aerosol (BBOA). In contrast to what is generally observed for the heterogeneous oxidation of reduced organics, substantial volatilization is observed in both systems. As a continuation of the heterogeneous oxidation experiments, we also measure the kinetics and products of the aging of highly oxidized organic aerosol, in which submicron particles composed of model oxidized organics -- 1,2,3,4-butanetetracarboxylic acid (C8H100 8), citric acid (C6 H8 0 7), tartaric acid (C4H6 0 6 ), and Suwannee River fulvic acid -- were oxidized by gas-phase OH in the same flow reactor, and the masses and elemental composition of the particles were monitored as a function of OH exposure. In contrast to studies of the less-oxidized model systems, particle mass did not decrease significantly with heterogeneous oxidation, although substantial chemical transformations were observed and characterized. Lastly, the immense complexity inherent in the formation of SOA -- due primarily to the large number of oxidation steps and reaction pathways involved -- has limited the detailed understanding of its underlying chemistry. In order to simplify this inherent complexity, we give over the last portion of this thesis to a novel technique for the formation of SOA through the photolysis of gas-phase alkyl iodides, which generates organic peroxy radicals of known structure. In contrast to standard OH-initiated oxidation experiments, photolytically initiated oxidation forms a limited number of products via a single reactive step. The system in which the photolytic SOA is formed is also repurposed as a generator of organic aerosol for input into a secondary reaction chamber, where the organic particles undergo additional aging by the heterogeneous oxidation mechanism already discussed. Particles exiting this reactor are observed to have become more dramatically oxidized than comparable systems containing SOA formed by gas-phase alkanes undergoing "normal" photo-oxidation by OH, suggesting simultaneously the utility of gas-phase precursor photolysis as an effective experimental platform for studying directly the chemistry involved in atmospheric aerosol formation and also the possibility that heterogeneous processes may play a more significant role in the atmosphere than what is predicted from chamber experiments. Consideration is given for the application of these results to larger-scale experiments, models, and conceptual frameworks.

Download or read book Chemical Characterization of Biogenic Secondary Organic Aerosol Generated from the Oxidation of Plant and Leaf Litter Emissions written by Celia L. Faiola and published by . This book was released on 2014 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Atmospheric aerosol impact climate by scattering and absorbing radiation and contributing to cloud formation processes. One of the largest uncertainties in climate change predictions is due to limitations in our understanding of the formation of secondary organic aerosol (SOA). This dissertation investigated SOA formation from the oxidation of plant and leaf litter emissions in a laboratory chamber. To accurately measure the biogenic volatile organic compound (BVOC) emissions, a dynamic dilution system was developed and is described in the first study. This system was used to calibrate the GC-MS-FID and improve quantitation with a maximum instrumental error of +/-10%. In the second study, two separate sets of soil and leaf litter samples were transported from the University of Idaho experimental forest and brought back to the lab. The BVOC emissions from these samples were pumped to an aerosol growth chamber where they were oxidized to generate SOA. The resulting SOA composition was similar to SOA formed from the oxidation of other biogenic SOA precursors. Soil/leaf litter BVOC missions were compared to a canopy emission model and contributed from 12-136% of canopy emissions during spring and fall. Results suggest this could be a significiant emission source during those times of the year. In the third and fourth study, coniferous plants were treated with a plant hormone, methyl jasmonate, to simulate herbivory stress. The third study focused on the plant responses to the stress treatment by investigating changes to the BVOC emission profile. There was a high degree of inter- and intra-plant species variability. Some of the compounds most affected by the stress treatment were alpha-pinene, beta-pinene, limonene, 1,8-cineol, beta-myrcene, terpinolene, and the aromatic cymene isomers. The fourth study investigated changes to SOA composition due to changes in the BVOC emission profiles. Most pre-treatment SOA was very similar in composition with Pearson correlation coefficients between the AMS spectra greater than 0.88. The SOA generated after MeJA treatment produced aerosol mass spectra with similar m/z enhancements. This could indicate an herbivory stress mass spectral fingerprint that could be used to identify plant stress at an ecosystem scale.

Download or read book Air Quality written by Ashok Kumar and published by IntechOpen. This book was released on 2010-08-18 with total page 392 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Air pollution is about five decades or so old field and continues to be a global concern. Therefore, the governments around the world are involved in managing air quality in their countries for the welfare of their citizens. The management of air pollution involves understanding air pollution sources, monitoring of contaminants, modeling air quality, performing laboratory experiments, the use of satellite images for quantifying air quality levels, indoor air pollution, and elimination of contaminants through control. Research activities are being performed on every aspect of air pollution throughout the world, in order to respond to public concerns. The book is grouped in five different sections. Some topics are more detailed than others. The readers should be aware that multi-authored books have difficulty maintaining consistency. A reader will find, however, that each chapter is intellectually stimulating. Our goal was to provide current information and present a reasonable analysis of air quality data compiled by knowledgeable professionals in the field of air pollution.

Download or read book Chemical and Physical Characterization of Secondary Organic Aerosol Formation from Select Agricultural Emissions written by Quentin Gerald James Malloy and published by . This book was released on 2009 with total page 414 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Investigation of Fundamental Processes Governing Secondary Organic Aerosol Formation in Laboratory Chambers written by Xuan Zhang and published by . This book was released on 2015 with total page 562 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Our understanding of the processes and mechanisms by which secondary organic aerosol (SOA) is formed is derived from laboratory chamber studies. In the atmosphere, SOA formation is primarily driven by progressive photooxidation of SOA precursors, coupled with their gas-particle partitioning. In the chamber environment, SOA-forming vapors undergo multiple chemical and physical processes that involve production and removal via gas-phase reactions; partitioning onto suspended particles vs. particles deposited on the chamber wall; and direct deposition on the chamber wall. The main focus of this dissertation is to characterize the interactions of organic vapors with suspended particles and the chamber wall and explore how these intertwined processes in laboratory chambers govern SOA formation and evolution. A Functional Group Oxidation Model (FGOM) that represents SOA formation and evolution in terms of the competition between functionalization and fragmentation, the extent of oxygen atom addition, and the change of volatility, is developed. The FGOM contains a set of parameters that are to be determined by fitting of the model to laboratory chamber data. The sensitivity of the model prediction to variation of the adjustable parameters allows one to assess the relative importance of various pathways involved in SOA formation. A critical aspect of the environmental chamber is the presence of the wall, which can induce deposition of SOA-forming vapors and promote heterogeneous reactions. An experimental protocol and model framework are first developed to constrain the vapor-wall interactions. By optimal fitting the model predictions to the observed wall-induced decay profiles of 25 oxidized organic compounds, the dominant parameter governing the extent of wall deposition of a compound is identified, i.e., wall accommodation coefficient. By correlating this parameter with the molecular properties of a compound via its volatility, the wall-induced deposition rate of an organic compound can be predicted based on its carbon and oxygen numbers in the molecule. Heterogeneous transformation of delta-hydroxycarbonyl, a major first-generation product from long-chain alkane photochemistry, is observed on the surface of particles and walls. The uniqueness of this reaction scheme is the production of substituted dihydrofuran, which is highly reactive towards ozone, OH, and NO3, thereby opening a reaction pathway that is not usually accessible to alkanes. A spectrum of highly-oxygenated products with carboxylic acid, ester, and ether functional groups is produced from the substituted dihydrofuran chemistry, thereby affecting the average oxidation state of the alkane-derived SOA. The vapor wall loss correction is applied to several chamber-derived SOA systems generated from both anthropogenic and biogenic sources. Experimental and modeling approaches are employed to constrain the partitioning behavior of SOA-forming vapors onto suspended particles vs. chamber walls. It is demonstrated that deposition of SOA-forming vapors to the chamber wall during photooxidation experiments can lead to substantial and systematic underestimation of SOA. Therefore, it is likely that a lack of proper accounting for vapor wall losses that suppress chamber-derived SOA yields contribute substantially to the underprediction of ambient SOA concentrations in atmospheric models.

Download or read book Secondary Organic Aerosol Formation Indoors written by Chunyi Wang and published by . This book was released on 2019 with total page 372 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: People in developed countries spend about 90% of their time indoors, so controlling in-door air quality (IAQ) is of primary importance for not harming public health. Airborne particu-late matter (PM) is one of the most problematic pollutants indoors, since exposure to particles with aerodynamic diameters smaller than 2.5 Îơm (i.e, PM2.5) is associated with respiratory dis-eases, as well as morbidity and mortality outcomes. Organic aerosol components, so called organic aerosol (OA), generally comprise the ma-jor portion of indoor PM, owing to its large indoor emission. One important component of OA indoors is secondary organic aerosol (SOA), which are condensed phase particles composed of semi- and low-volatility compounds. Most research has focused on SOA generated by terpene ozonolysis occurring in the gas phase. This work, however, explores a lesser researched for-mation mechanism, which is the possibility of airborne SOA generated by ozone surface reac-tions with sorbed squalene (C30H50), which is a nonvolatile constituent of skin oil. As such, thirteen steady state chamber experiments were performed to measure the SOA formation en-tirely initiated by ozone reactions with squalene sorbed to glass at two RH conditions of 21% and 51%, in the absence of seed particles. SOA was initiated from these surface reactions, and all experiments but one exhibited nucleation and mass formation. Mass formation increased with ozone concentration at RH = 51% while nucleation was more obvious at RH = 21%. Additionally, most indoor OA, either emitted or generated (i.e., not only SOA), is at composed of semivolatile compounds (SVOCs) in a state of dynamic equilibrium between gas and particle phases. Filters might have a reduced efficiency on removing these kinds of particles since they coexist in gas and condensed aerosol phases. The preferential filtration of particle phase material of the OA system could disrupt the equilibrium, and the removed aerosols might be enhanced by desorption from surfaces and repartitioning from gas phase. To explore this phenomenon, three types of particles, including non-volatile ammonium sulfate ((NH4)2SO4) aerosol, incense aerosol (which might be partly semi-volatile), and SOA derived from ozone + d-limonene reactions (the majority of which are SVOCs), were characterized and compared in terms of their effective removal by a portable air cleaner. For this comparison, the metric of the Clean Air Delivery Rate, CADR (m3/h), was used, which is the volumetric flow of pollutant-free air produced by an air cleaner. Results demonstrated that the lowest effective CADR was for SOA, followed by the incense, and then the ammonium sulfate particles, indicating a repar-titioning processes reduced the filter efficiency. Then a model based on the principles of desorp-tion and repartition process was developed, to quantify the reduced CADR as a function of par-ticle concentration and distribution, in terms of parameter ATSP, which is the ratio of particle surface area to mass. Finally, the influence of the above two parameters on amount of CADR reduction was discussed. Using some details gleaned from the above two experimental studies, a thermodynamic equilibrium model was developed using the volatile basis set (VBS), to predict indoor organic aerosol concentrations and behavior. The model outcomes are the total organic mass indoors (gas + condensed phase), and the fraction of it that partitions to the aerosol phase, including that existing as SOA formed by ozone + d-limonene reactions. With this model, the total OA concentration was simulated at key locations in an indoor environment, such as in the occupied space and different positions in a building mechanical system. The impacts of different condi-tions were compared, including commercial against residential buildings, surface against gas reactions, and winter against summer, within a Monte Carlo framework. Indoor OA concentra-tion indoors were higher when reactions were involved, and gas phase reactions had much more influence on SOA than surface reactions. Finally, the result dataset was used to evaluate the influence of key factors on the indoor OA concentrations, using multiple linear regression sen-sitivity methods. The most important factor that enhanced indoor particles was d-limonene emission rate with average SRC of 0.73, while the negative related factors were filtration effi-ciency with SRC of -0.33 for commercial and surface deposition rate with SRC of -0.22 for resi-dential buildings. Beyond the three SOA studies discussed above, humidifiers used indoors might be strong PM emitters. So, as a supplementary piece, this work also investigated the influence of three humidifier types (ultrasonic, evaporative, and steam humidifiers), and water type used (tap water, de-ionized (DI) water or distilled water), on indoor aerosol number/mass concentra-tions by performing 16 experiments. Particle size distribution during emission periods and size-resolved emission rates were explored to compare the emission ability of humidifiers. Two lung deposition models were also applied to simulate the deposition percentage of particles breathed in on three lung regions (HA, TB, and AL), and total percentage on varying age groups. Results showed that two year-old group was most vulnerable, with number deposition fractions of 0.36, compared with 0.25 for adults. Furthermore, roughly 70% of the total emitted particles pene-trates into the AL region of the lung.

Download or read book Secondary Organic Aerosol Formation Initiated by Terpineol Ozonolysis and Exposure Quantified by the Secondary Intake Fraction written by Yanan Yang and published by . This book was released on 2017 with total page 338 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Indoor air quality (IAQ) is associated with human health due to people spending most of their time indoors. Secondary organic aerosol (SOA) formation is an important source of fine airborne particles, which can cause acute airway effects and decreased lung function. SOA is a product of reactive organic gas (ROG) ozonolysis, which can be parameterized by the aerosol mass fraction (AMF). The AMF is the ratio of SOA formation mass to the reacted ROG mass, and it is positively correlated with the total organic aerosol mass concentration. Îł-Terpineol is a terpenoid that can have a strong emission rate indoors owing to consumer product usage. It reacts strongly with oxidants such as ozone, hydroxyl radical (OH), and nitrate radical (NO3), where those radicals are produced indoors due to ozone reaction with alkenes or nitrogen dioxide (NO2), respectively. Due to the fast reaction rates of Îł-terpineol with these oxidants, SOA formation has the potential to increase in-door fine particle concentrations. However, SOA formation from Îł-terpineol has not been systematically quantified. Therefore, the purpose of this work was to quantify SOA formation owing to Îł-terpineol ozonolysis, for two sets of experiments, one without and one with NO2 present. In the first set of 21 experiments, the SOA formation initiated by reacting 6.39 to 226 ppb Îł-terpineol with high ozone (~25 ppm) to ensure rapid and complete ozonolysis for high (0.84 h8́21), moderate (0.61 h8́21) and low (0.36 h8́21) air exchange rates (AER) was studied in a stainless steel chamber system. The resulting SOA mass formation was parameterized with the AMF for all experiments. The impact of reacted Îł-terpineol and AERs on AMFs as well as the SOA size distribution was investigated, and different AMF models (one-product, two-product, and volatility basis set) were fit to the AMF data. Predictive modeling investigated the impact of the SOA formation from Îł-terpineol ozonolysis in residential indoor air. Furthermore, a second set of 21 experiments in a Teflon bag operated as semi-batch reactor explored the impact of NO2 at 0 to 2000 ppb on SOA formation from Îł-terpineol ranging from 20 ppb to 200 ppb with excess ozone (~25ppm). In this system, ozone can either initiate reactions with Îł-terpineol to produce organic peroxy radicals (RO28́9) or react with NO2 to produce NO3, which can react with Îł-terpineol. For analysis of results, we classified experiments by logarithmic spacing into four groups according to the initial ratio of VOC/NO2 values. SOA mass was again parameterized by the AMF as a function of the organic aerosol concentration. The impact of VOC/NO2 on SOA mass as well as the SOA size distribution was investigated, and the SOA composition for each grouping of experiments was elucidated by the kinetic modeling. Finally, this SOA formation was put into context using the 'secondary intake fraction' (siF), which is a developed metric that evaluates SOA exposure during various human activities. The siF is defined as the up-taken mass of a secondary product for an exposed individual per unit mass of primary product emitted during human residential activities, over a given exposure time. The siF for individual intake was evaluated for SOA formation from d-limonene, Îł-terpineol, or Îł-pinene ozonolysis in five residential scenarios, including: I. Constant emission, II. Pulse emission, III. Surface cleaning, IV. Solution cleaning, and V. Skin cleaning. For a given input set, a transient model was used to predict SOA concentrations and the siF, using inputs cast as probability distributions within a Monte Carlo approach. Multiple linear regression techniques were applied to fit siF values for the five scenarios, for use in sensitivity analyses. Also, the multiple linear regression results can be used to predict the siF and the potential for human intake of SOA within exposure models.

Download or read book Anthropogenic Influence on the Fate of Secondary Organic Aerosol written by Dongyu Wang and published by . This book was released on 2018 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Oxidation of volatile organic compounds (VOC) in the atmosphere leads to the formation of secondary organic aerosol (SOA), which can have extensive impacts on air quality, health, and climate. Existing air quality models used to describe the fate of ambient organic aerosol tend to underpredict the aerosol oxidation state. In addition, modeled concentrations of nitrogen oxides (NO [subscript x]) and other reactive nitrogen compounds (NO [subscript y]), including alkyl nitrates, often deviate from field observations. Certain SOA formation pathways, SOA ageing mechanisms, and alkyl nitrate decay mechanisms may be missing. Recent field studies show that NO [subscript x]-mediated heterogeneous production of nitryl chloride, ClNO2, could provide a ubiquitous source for chlorine atoms. Little is known about the role of chlorine atoms in SOA formation and ageing, or their interaction with other anthropogenic emissions found in polluted environments, where alkane oxidation chemistry is important. Environmental chamber experiments are carried out to address knowledge gaps in atmospheric chlorine and alkane oxidation chemistry. Results show that chlorine-initiated oxidation of isoprene leads to SOA formation, organic chloride formation, and possibly secondary HO [subscript x] chemistry. Alkane-derived alkyl nitrate compounds are found not to hydrolyze appreciably in humid environments or in the presence of acidic aerosol. Uptake of inorganic nitrate and inorganic chloride are observed in the presence of deliquescent particles. Chlorine-initiated oxidation of linear alkanes is shown to result in prompt SOA formation and delayed organic chloride formation, which is enabled by the addition of chlorine radical to dihydrofuran, a heterogeneously produced multi-generational oxidation product. Improvements are made for the detection of organic chloride using aerosol mass spectrometry, and for aerosol volatility measurements using temperature programmed thermal desorption techniques. A two-dimensional thermogram framework is developed to visualize aerosol composition, aerosol volatility, and thermal fragmentation simultaneously

Download or read book Chemistry of Secondary Organic Aerosol written by Lindsay Diana Yee and published by . This book was released on 2013 with total page 466 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The photooxidation of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the atmosphere can lead to the formation of secondary organic aerosol (SOA), a major component of fine particulate matter. Improvements to air quality require insight into the many reactive intermediates that lead to SOA formation, of which only a small fraction have been measured at the molecular level. This thesis describes the chemistry of secondary organic aerosol (SOA) formation from several atmospherically relevant hydrocarbon precursors. Photooxidation experiments of methoxyphenol and phenolic compounds and C12 alkanes were conducted in the Caltech Environmental Chamber. These experiments include the first photooxidation studies of these precursors run under sufficiently low NOx levels, such that RO2 + HO2 chemistry dominates, an important chemical regime in the atmosphere. Using online Chemical Ionization Mass Spectrometery (CIMS), key gas-phase intermediates that lead to SOA formation in these systems were identified. With complementary particle-phase analyses, chemical mechanisms elucidating the SOA formation from these compounds are proposed. Three methoxyphenol species (phenol, guaiacol, and syringol) were studied to model potential photooxidation schemes of biomass burning intermediates. SOA yields (ratio of mass of SOA formed to mass of primary organic reacted) exceeding 25% are observed. Aerosol growth is rapid and linear with the organic conversion, consistent with the formation of essentially non-volatile products. Gas and aerosol-phase oxidation products from the guaiacol system show that the chemical mechanism consists of highly oxidized aromatic species in the particle phase. Syringol SOA yields are lower than that of phenol and guaiacol, likely due to unique chemistry dependent on methoxy group position. The photooxidation of several C12 alkanes of varying structure n-dodecane, 2-methylundecane, cyclododecane, and hexylcyclohexane) were run under extended OH exposure to investigate the effect of molecular structure on SOA yields and photochemical aging. Peroxyhemiacetal formation from the reactions of several multifunctional hydroperoxides and aldehyde intermediates was found to be central to organic growth in all systems, and SOA yields increased with cyclic character of the starting hydrocarbon. All of these studies provide direction for future experiments and modeling in order to lessen outstanding discrepancies between predicted and measured SOA.