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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2022

Room-Temperature Optical Detection of 14 CO 2 below the Natural Abundance with Two-Color Cavity Ring-Down Spectroscopy

Radiocarbon’s natural production, radiative decay, and isotopic rarity make it a unique tool to probe carbonaceous systems in the life and earth sciences. However, the difficulty of current radiocarbon ( 14 C) detection methods limits scientific adoption. Here, two-color cavity ring-down spectroscopy detects 14 CO 2 in room-temperature samples with an accuracy of one-tenth the natural abundance in 3 min. The intracavity pump–probe measurement uses two cavity-enhanced lasers to cancel out cavity ring-down rate fluctuations and strong one-photon absorption interference (>10 000 1/s) from hot-band transitions of CO 2 isotopologues. Selective, room-temperature detection of small 14 CO 2 absorption signals (<1 1/s) reduces the technical and operational burdens for cavity-enhanced measurements of radiocarbon, which can benefit a wide range of applications like biomedical research and field-detection of combusted fossil fuels.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2022

Prospective Life Cycle Assessment of Synthetic Graphite Manufactured via Electrochemical Graphitization

Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) are expected to play a crucial role in meeting many of the clean energy-related goals. Due to its electrical properties such as good conductance, chemical inertness, and corrosion resistance, graphite is a very popular anode for LIBs. Traditional methods of producing battery-grade graphite (high purity >99%) include processing naturally mined graphite or manufacturing synthetic graphite via the Acheson process, which converts soft amorphous carbons such as petroleum coke into graphite by subjecting it to high temperature (up to 3000 °C) for prolonged periods of times (3–5 days). However, due to a lack of abundant high purity natural graphite sources, synthetic graphite is the preferred choice for many LIBs. A new synthetic electrochemical graphitization method that subjects the amorphous carbon precursor submerged in a molten salt mixture to a constant cathodic polarization (against a graphitic anode) has been discovered that has significantly lower graphitization temperatures (~800 °C) and reduced graphitization time (3–6 h). Furthermore, the method can accept a higher variety of carbon precursors compared to the Acheson process. A prospective life cycle assessment (LCA) is conducted on this new method and compared against the traditional processes. The laboratory-scale demonstration of the method is used to build an inventory, which through various assumptions is scaled up to a commercial scale. An additional scenario is also considered with a biomass-derived carbon precursor for the graphite. The results from the LCA show that while the laboratory scale process is similar to the Acheson process and natural flake graphite in terms of impact, the scaled-up process is drastically better than the Acheson process in all environmental categories. Using a coconut shell-derived biomass precursor has a higher impact due to its manufacturing in Indonesia, as the Indonesian energy grid is highly fossil fuel dependent. Therefore, the biomass carbon may have a higher impact than petroleum coke dependent on the location of production of biomass-derived carbon black. The LCA has identified the molten salt—CaCl 2 —as a potential hotspot and suggests other salts should be considered. Accordingly, the new method shows promise in this early stage LCA in improving the environmental performance of graphite (and by relation LIBs) and therefore needs to be explored more in terms of its commercial viability.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2025

Solvent-Free Dimerization of Isoprene at Ambient Temperature: A Green Route to Biofuel-Range Hydrocarbons

In order to achieve a net-zero carbon footprint by 2050, the global aviation industry must reduce its dependence on fossil fuels. In this regard, there is a global challenge to produce sufficient sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) from renewable sources. Isoprene is an intermediate molecule that can be derived from multiple biomass-based or biosynthetic routes. Here, in this work, we report a green route for the catalytic conversion of isoprene to hydrocarbons that are suitable for aviation fuel. By using an Amberlyst-15 catalyst without metal loading at ambient temperature (19–23 °C), as well as 40 °C, 50 °C, and 60 °C, isoprene was converted into olefinic precursors for SAF and/or blending with conventional aviation fuels. Specifically, at ambient temperature, the process achieved approximately 70 wt % conversion of isoprene with over 50 mol % carbon selectivity toward the aviation fuel range. The resulting SAF-range hydrocarbons were composed of iso-alkenes, branched olefinic monocyclic compounds, and bicyclic compounds, covering a wide range of aviation fuel components. Our work demonstrates, for the first time, the formation of diverse hydrocarbon families for SAF and/or aviation fuel blending at ambient temperature from isoprene.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗
DOE OSTI2017

Ruthenium Nanoparticle-Decorated Porous Organic Network for Direct Hydrodeoxygenation of Long-Chain Fatty Acids to Alkanes

With the rapidly diminishing fossil fuel resources, development of a new strategy for synthesis of biofuels from renewable resources can provide a sustainable alternative to our energy demand. In this work, we present the design, synthesis, and characterization of a new porous organic network (TpPON) through acid-catalyzed condensation of 1,3,5-triformylphloroglucinol (Tp) and triphenylamine (TPA). Ru 0 nanoparticles are successfully fabricated at the porous surface of TpPON to obtain a novel catalytic system Ru@TpPON, which exhibits excellent catalytic performance together with outstanding stability for the hydrodeoxygenation of various vegetable oils to long-chain alkanes in water, and thus TpPON has wide potential for large-scale biodiesel production from renewable resources.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2017

Converting Wind Energy to Ammonia at Lower Pressure

Renewable wind energy can be used to make ammonia. However, wind-generated ammonia costs about twice that made from a traditional fossil-fuel driven process. To reduce the production cost, we replace the conventional ammonia condensation with a selective absorber containing metal halides, e.g., calcium chloride, operating at near synthesis temperatures. With this reaction-absorption process, ammonia can be synthesized at 20 bar from air, water, and wind-generated electricity, with rates comparable to the conventional process running at 150–300 bar. In our reaction-absorption process, the rate of ammonia synthesis is now controlled not by the chemical reaction but largely by the pump used to recycle the unreacted gases. The results suggest an alternative route to distributed ammonia manufacture which can locally supply nitrogen fertilizer and also a method to capture stranded wind energy as a carbon-neutral liquid fuel.

10 SYNTHETIC FUELS↗
DOE OSTI2018

Demand Response Operation of Electricity-Intensive Chemical Processes for Reduced Greenhouse Gas Emissions: Application to an Air Separation Unit

A recent push for reduced greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions has led (in part) to the addition of renewable electricity generation sources to the power generation mix. Renewables such as wind and solar are desynchronized from grid demand, requiring the use of fossil fuels to bridge the gap. We propose a novel production scheduling formulation, emissions-minimizing production (EMP), which utilizes time-based information on the nature of the power generation mix to lower GHG emissions related to the transmission and generation of electricity for industrial users. We demonstrate the application of EMP on a single-column air separation unit. The scheduling problem is cast as a mixed integer linear program that can be solved in a practical amount of time. Extensive numerical studies are used to place EMP in the context of other production scheduling methods (such as demand response), and demonstrate its potential for significant reductions in GHG emissions.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗
DOE OSTI2013

Recent advances in hydrotreating of pyrolysis bio-oil and its oxygen-containing model compounds

There is considerable world-wide interest in discovering renewable sources of energy that can substitute for fossil fuels. Lignocellulosic biomass, which is the most abundant and inexpensive renewable feedstock on the planet, has a great potential for sustainable production of fuels, chemicals, and carbon-based materials. Fast pyrolysis integrated with hydrotreating is one of the simplest, most cost-effective and most efficient processes to convert lignocellulosic biomass to liquid hydrocarbon fuels for transportation, which has attracted significant attention in recent decades. However, effective hydrotreating of pyrolysis bio-oil presents a daunting challenge to the commercialization of biomass conversion via pyrolysis-hydrotreating. Specifically, development of active, selective, and stable hydrotreating catalysts is the bottleneck due to the poor quality of pyrolysis bio-oil feedstock (high oxygen content, molecular complexity, coking propensity, and corrosiveness). Significant research has been conducted to address the practical issues and provide the fundamental understanding of the hydrotreating/hydrodeoxygenation (HDO) of bio-oils and their oxygen-containing model compounds, including phenolics, furans, and carboxylic acids. A wide range of catalysts have been studied, including conventional Mo-based sulfide catalysts and noble metal catalysts, with the latter being the primary focus of the recent research because of their excellent catalytic performances and no requirement of environmentally unfriendly sulfur. The reaction mechanisms of HDO of model compounds on noble metal catalysts as well as their efficacy for hydrotreating or stabilization of bio-oil have been recently reported. This review provides a survey of the relevant literatures of recent 10 years about the advances in the understanding of the HDO chemistry of bio-oils and their model compounds mainly on noble metal catalysts.

biomass, lignocellulose, pyrolysis bio-oil, hydrod↗
DOE OSTI2013

Mechanism of Methane Chemical Looping Combustion with Hematite Promoted with CeO 2

Chemical looping combustion (CLC) is a promising technology for fossil fuel combustion that produces sequestration-ready CO{sub 2} stream, reducing the energy penalty of CO{sub 2} separation from flue gases. An effective oxygen carrier for CLC will readily react with the fuel gas and will be reoxidized upon contact with oxygen. This study investigated the development of a CeO{sub 2}-promoted Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3}-hematite oxygen carrier suitable for the methane CLC process. Composition of CeO{sub 2} is between 5 and 25 wt % and is lower than what is generally used for supports in Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} carrier preparations. The incorporation of CeO{sub 2} to the natural ore hematite strongly modifies the reduction behavior in comparison to that of CeO{sub 2} and hematite alone. Temperature-programmed reaction studies revealed that the addition of even 5 wt % CeO{sub 2} enhances the reaction capacity of the Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} oxygen carrier by promoting the decomposition and partial oxidation of methane. Fixed-bed reactor data showed that the 5 wt % cerium oxides with 95 wt % iron oxide produce 2 times as much carbon dioxide in comparison to the sum of carbon dioxide produced when the oxides were tested separately. This effect is likely due to the reaction of CeO{sub 2} with methane forming intermediates, which are reactive for extracting oxygen from Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} at a considerably faster rate than the rate of the direct reaction of Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} with methane. These studies reveal that 5 wt % CeO{sub 2}/Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} gives stable conversions over 15 reduction/oxidation cycles. Lab-scale reactor studies (pulsed mode) suggest the methane reacts initially with CeO{sub 2} lattice oxygen to form partial oxidation products (CO + H{sub 2}), which continue to react with oxygen from neighboring Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3}, leading to its complete oxidation to form CO{sub 2}. The reduced cerium oxide promotes the methane decomposition reaction to form C + H{sub 2}, which continue to react with Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3}/Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4} to form CO/CO{sub 2} and H{sub 2}O. This mechanism is supported by the characterization studies, which also suggest that the formation of carbonaceous intermediates may affect the reaction rate and selectivity of the oxygen carrier.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2014

Emissions Implications of Future Natural Gas Production and Use in the U.S. and in the Rocky Mountain Region

Enhanced prospects for natural gas production raise questions about the balance of impacts on air quality, as increased emissions from production activities are considered alongside the reductions expected when natural gas is burned in place of other fossil fuels. This study explores how trends in natural gas production over the coming decades might affect emissions of greenhouse gases (GHG), volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) for the United States and its Rocky Mountain region. The MARKAL (MARKet ALlocation) energy system optimization model is used with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's nine-region database to compare scenarios for natural gas supply and demand, constraints on the electricity generation mix, and GHG emissions fees. Through 2050, total energy system GHG emissions show little response to natural gas supply assumptions, due to offsetting changes across sectors. Policy-driven constraints or emissions fees are needed to achieve net reductions. In most scenarios, wind is a less expensive source of new electricity supplies in the Rocky Mountain region than natural gas. U.S. NOx emissions decline in all the scenarios considered. Increased VOC emissions from natural gas production offset part of the anticipated reductions from the transportation sector, especially in the Rocky Mountain region.

emissions↗
DOE OSTI2014

Global Chemical Composition of Ambient Fine Particulate Matter for Exposure Assessment

Epidemiologic and health impact studies are inhibited by the paucity of global, long-term measurements of the chemical composition of fine particulate matter. We inferred PM 2.5 chemical composition at 0.1° × 0.1° spatial resolution for 2004–2008 by combining aerosol optical depth retrieved from the MODIS and MISR satellite instruments, with coincident profile and composition information from the GEOS-Chem global chemical transport model. Evaluation of the satellite-model PM 2.5 composition data set with North American in situ measurements indicated significant spatial agreement for secondary inorganic aerosol, particulate organic mass, black carbon, mineral dust, and sea salt. We found that global population-weighted PM 2.5 concentrations were dominated by particulate organic mass (11.9 ± 7.3 μg/m 3 ), secondary inorganic aerosol (11.1 ± 5.0 μg/m 3 ), and mineral dust (11.1 ± 7.9 μg/m 3 ). Secondary inorganic PM 2.5 concentrations exceeded 30 μg/m 3 over East China. Sensitivity simulations suggested that population-weighted ambient PM 2.5 from biofuel burning (11 μg/m 3 ) could be almost as large as from fossil fuel combustion sources (17 μg/m 3 ). In conclusion, these estimates offer information about global population exposure to the chemical components and sources of PM 2.5 .

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2020

Multiple Mechanisms Mapped in Aryl Alkyl Ether Cleavage via Aqueous Electrocatalytic Hydrogenation over Skeletal Nickel

We present here detailed mechanistic studies of electrocatalytic hydrogenation (ECH) in aqueous solution over skeletal nickel cathodes to probe the various paths of reductive catalytic C–O bond cleavage among functionalized aryl ethers relevant to energy science. Heterogeneous catalytic hydrogenolysis of aryl ethers is important both in hydrodeoxygenation of fossil fuels and in upgrading of lignin from biomass. The presence or absence of simple functionalities such as carbonyl, hydroxyl, methyl, or methoxyl groups is known to cause dramatic shifts in reactivity and cleavage selectivity between sp3 C–O and sp2 C–O bonds. Specifically, reported hydrogenolysis studies with Ni and other catalysts have hinted at different cleavage mechanisms for the C–O ether bonds in α-keto and α-hydroxy β-O-4 type aryl ether linkages of lignin. Our new rate, selectivity, and isotopic labeling results from ECH reactions confirm that these aryl ethers undergo C–O cleavage via distinct paths. For the simple 2-phenoxy-1-phenylethane or its alcohol congener, 2-phenoxy-1-phenylethanol, the benzylic site is activated via Ni C–H insertion, followed by beta elimination of the phenoxide leaving group. But in the case of the ketone, 2-phenoxyacetophenone, the polarized carbonyl π system apparently binds directly with the electron rich Ni cathode surface without breaking the aromaticity of the neighboring phenyl ring, leading to rapid cleavage. Substituent steric and electronic perturbations across a broad range of β-O-4 type ethers create a hierarchy of cleavage rates that supports these mechanistic ideas while offering guidance to allow rational design of the catalytic method. Furthermore, on the basis of the new insights, the usage of cosolvent acetone is shown to enable control of product selectivity.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2021

Accessing Organonitrogen Compounds via C–N Coupling in Electrocatalytic CO 2 Reduction

Given the limited product variety of electrocatalytic CO 2 reduction reactions solely from CO 2 and H 2 O as the reactants, it is desirable to expand the product scope by introducing additional reactants that provide elemental diversity. The integration of inorganic heteroatom-containing reactants into electrocatalytic CO 2 reduction could in principle enable the sustainable synthesis of valuable products, such as organonitrogen compounds, which have widespread applications but typically rely on NH 3 derived from the energy-intensive and fossil-fuel-dependent Haber-Bosch process for their industrial scale production. Here, in this Perspective, research progress towards building C-N bonds in N-integrated electrocatalytic CO 2 reduction is highlighted, and the electrosyntheses of urea, acetamides, and amines are examined from the standpoint of reactivity, catalyst structure, and most fundamentally, mechanism. Mechanistic discussions of C-N coupling in these advances are emphasized and critically evaluated, with the aim of directing future investigations on improving the product yield and broadening the product scope of N-integrated electrocatalytic CO 2 reduction.

electrochemical reduction↗
DOE OSTI2023

Activation and Conversion of Methane to Syngas over ZrO 2 /Cu(111) Catalysts near Room Temperature

Enzymatic systems achieve the catalytic conversion of methane at room temperature under mild conditions. Here, in this study, varying thermodynamic and kinetic parameters, we show that the reforming of methane by water (MWR, CH 4 + H 2 O → CO + 3H 2 ) and the water-gas shift reaction (WGS, CO + H 2 O → H 2 + CO 2 ), two essential processes to integrate fossil fuels toward a H2 energy loop, can be achieved on ZrO 2 /Cu(111) catalysts near room temperature. Measurements of ambient-pressure X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and mass spectrometry, combined with density functional calculations and kinetic Monte Carlo simulations, were used to study the behavior of the inverse oxide/metal catalysts. The superior performance is associated with a unique zirconia-copper interface, where multifunctional sites involving zirconium, oxygen, and copper work coordinatively to dissociate methane and water at 300 K and move forward the MWR and WGS processes.

03 NATURAL GAS↗
DOE OSTI2025

Catalytic Activity of an Ensemble of Sites for CO 2 Hydrogenation to Methanol on a ZrO 2 -on-Cu Inverse Catalyst

The significant increase in CO 2 emissions from heavy fossil fuel utilization has raised serious concerns, highlighting the need for effective methods to convert CO 2 into value-added chemicals. Here, in this work, we report a computational investigation on the catalytic activity of ZrO 2 -on-Cu inverse catalysts for CO 2 hydrogenation to methanol, considering highly dispersed ZrO 2 trimers on Cu (111). Such clusters present a large ensemble of formate-containing configurations, Zr 3 O n (OH) m (OCHO) l , making the evaluation of the catalytic activity very challenging. We found that the sites on the various catalyst configurations exhibit markedly different activities for formate hydrogenation, despite their similar free energy and composition. To understand these differences in reactivity, we examined the structural and electronic nature of the low free-energy catalyst configurations and identified that the energy of the lowest unoccupied orbital of the reacting formate, modified by its binding with the catalytic site, is a descriptor for the reaction energy of the formate hydrogenation step. From there, we screened an ensemble of catalyst structures using this descriptor to predict highly active metastable catalyst configurations and computed the reaction pathways and transition states for formate hydrogenation. From this investigation, we distinguished reactive from nonreactive sites and formate species on the ZrO 2 /Cu inverse catalyst based on structural and electronic features. We showed that rare metastable configurations control the activity. Additionally, an efficient method for examining the reactivity of a large number of coexisting catalyst structures was developed.

catalysts↗
DOE OSTI2023

Near Quantitative Removal of Selenate and Sulfate Anions from Wastewaters by Cocrystallization with Chelating Hydrogen-Bonding Guanidinium Ligands

Selenium (Se) has become an environmental contaminant of aquatic ecosystems as a result of human activities, particularly mining, fossil fuel combustion, and agricultural activities. By leveraging the high sulfate concentrations relative to Se oxyanions (i.e., SeO n 2– , n = 3, 4) present in some wastewaters, we have developed an efficient approach to Se-oxyanion removal by cocrystallization with bisiminoguanidinium (BIG) ligands that form crystalline sulfate/selenate solid solutions. The crystallization of the sulfate, selenate and selenite, oxyanions and of sulfate/selenate mixtures with five candidate BIG ligands are reported along with the thermodynamics of crystallization and aqueous solubilities. Oxyanion removal experiments with the top two performing candidate ligands show a near quantitative removal (>99%) of sulfate or selenate from solution. When both sulfate and selenate are present, there is near quantitative removal (>99%) of selenate, down to sub-ppb Se levels, with no discrimination between the two oxyanions during cocrystallization. Reducing the selenate concentrations by 3 orders of magnitude or more relative to sulfate, as found in many wastewaters, led to no measurable loss in Se removal efficiencies. This work offers a simple and effective alternative to selective separation of trace amounts of highly toxic selenate oxyanions from wastewaters, to meet stringent regulatory discharge limits.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2024

Enzymatic Routes to Designer Hemicelluloses for Use in Biobased Materials

Various enzymes can be used to modify the structure of hemicelluloses directly in vivo or following extraction from biomass sources, such as wood and agricultural residues. Generally, these enzymes can contribute to designer hemicelluloses through four main strategies: (1) enzymatic hydrolysis such as selective removal of side groups by glycoside hydrolases (GH) and carbohydrate esterases (CE), (2) enzymatic cross-linking, for instance, the selective addition of side groups by glycosyltransferases (GT) with activated sugars, (3) enzymatic polymerization by glycosynthases (GS) with activated glycosyl donors or transglycosylation, and (4) enzymatic functionalization, particularly via oxidation by carbohydrate oxidoreductases and via amination by amine transaminases. Thus, this Perspective will first highlight enzymes that play a role in regulating the degree of polymerization and side group composition of hemicelluloses, and subsequently, it will explore enzymes that enhance cross-linking capabilities and incorporate novel chemical functionalities into saccharide structures. These enzymatic routes offer a precise way to tailor the properties of hemicelluloses for specific applications in biobased materials, contributing to the development of renewable alternatives to conventional materials derived from fossil fuels.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2014

An Experimental and Theoretical Study on the Formation of 2-Methylnaphthalene (C 11 H 10 /C 11 H 3 D 7 ) in the Reactions of the Para-Tolyl (C 7 H 7 ) and Para-Tolyl-d7 (C 7 D 7 ) with Vinylacetylene (C 4 H 4 )

We introduce for the very first time single collision experimental evidence that a methyl-substituted polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) – 2-methylnaphthalene – can be formed without an entrance barrier via indirect scattering dynamics through a bimolecular collision of two non-PAH reactants: the para-tolyl radical and vinylacetylene. Theory reflects that this reaction is initiated by the addition of the para-tolyl radical to either the terminal acetylene carbon (C 4 ) or a vinyl carbon (C 1 ) leading eventually to two distinct radical intermediates. Importantly, addition at C 1 was found to be barrierless via a van-der-Waals complex implying this mechanism can play a key role in forming methyl substituted PAHs in low temperature extreme environments such as the interstellar medium and hydrocarbon-rich atmospheres of planets and their moons in the outer Solar System. Both reaction pathways involve a sequence of isomerizations via hydrogen transfer, ring closure, and ring opening and final hydrogen dissociation through tight exit transition states to form 2-methylnaphthalene in overall exoergic processes. Less favorable pathways leading to monocyclic products are also found. Our report predict that reactions of substituted aromatic radicals can mechanistically deliver odd-numbered PAHs that are formed in significant quantities in the combustion of fossil fuels.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2018

Regional Similarities and NO x -Related Increases in Biogenic Secondary Organic Aerosol in Summertime Southeastern United States

During the 2013 Southern Oxidant and Aerosol Study, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and aerosol mass spectrometer (AMS) measurements of submicron mass were collected at Look Rock (LRK), Tennessee, and Centreville (CTR), Alabama. Carbon monoxide and submicron sulfate and organic mass concentrations were 15–60% higher at CTR than at LRK, but their time series had moderate correlations (r ~ 0.5). However, NO x had no correlation (r = 0.08) between the two sites with nighttime-to-early-morning peaks 3–10 times higher at CTR than at LRK. Organic mass (OM) sources identified by FTIR Positive Matrix Factorization (PMF) had three very similar factors at both sites: fossil fuel combustion-related organic aerosols, mixed organic aerosols, and biogenic organic aerosols (BOA). The BOA spectrum from FTIR is similar (cosine similarity > 0.6) to that of lab-generated particle mass from the photochemical oxidation of both isoprene and monoterpenes under high NO x conditions from chamber experiments. The BOA mass fraction was highest during the night at CTR but in the afternoon at LRK.AMS PMF resulted in two similar pairs of factors at both sites and a third nighttime NO x -related factor (33% of OM) at CTR but a daytime nitrate-related factor (28% of OM) at LRK. NO x was correlated with BOA and LO-OOA for NO x concentrations higher than 1 ppb at both sites, producing 0.5 ± 0.1 μg/m 3 for CTR-LO-OOA and 1.0 ± 0.3 μg/m 3 for CTR-BOA additional biogenic OM for each 1 ppb increase of NO x .

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗