Articles | Volume 25, issue 22
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-15857-2025
© Author(s) 2025. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-15857-2025
© Author(s) 2025. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| 
18 Nov 2025
Research article |
| 18 Nov 2025
| 18 Nov 2025
Surfactants regulate the mixing state of organic-inorganic mixed aerosols undergoing liquid-liquid phase separation
Younuo Fan
College of Chemical and Material Engineering, Quzhou University, Quzhou 324000, China
Qiong Li
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
College of Chemical and Material Engineering, Quzhou University, Quzhou 324000, China
Shanghai Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Particle Pollution and Prevention, Department of Environmental Science & Engineering, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China
Min Zhou
College of Chemical and Material Engineering, Quzhou University, Quzhou 324000, China
College of Chemical Engineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310000, China
Jiuyi Sun
The Institute of Chemical Physics, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, China
College of Chemical and Material Engineering, Quzhou University, Quzhou 324000, China
Tianyou Xu
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
College of Chemical and Material Engineering, Quzhou University, Quzhou 324000, China
Related authors
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Shuaishuai Ma, Qiong Li, and Yunhong Zhang
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 22, 10955–10970, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-10955-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-10955-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
The nitrate phase state can play a critical role in determining the occurrence and extent of nitrate depletion in internally mixed NaNO3–DCA particles, which may be instructive for relevant aerosol reaction systems. Besides, organic acids have a potential to deplete nitrate based on the comprehensive consideration of acidity, particle-phase state, droplet water activity, and HNO3 gas-phase diffusion.
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Short summary
The internal mixing of inorganic salts, secondary organic matter, and surfactants is ubiquitous in tropospheric aerosols. Our study shows that the presence of surfactants alters the spreading coefficients of the organic and inorganic phases. Therefore, the phase-separated particle morphology can shift from the conventional core-shell structure to partial engulfing configurations, or even to inverse core-shell forms where the organic phase is surrounded by an outer inorganic shell.
The internal mixing of inorganic salts, secondary organic matter, and surfactants is ubiquitous...
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