Articles | Volume 26, issue 4
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-26-2769-2026
© Author(s) 2026. 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-26-2769-2026
© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| 
24 Feb 2026
Research article |
| 24 Feb 2026
| 24 Feb 2026
Process-level simulation of chemical composition, size distribution and cloud condensation nuclei of secondary organic aerosol from α-pinene ozonolysis
Zhen Song
Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences & Institute of Atmospheric Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Atmosphere-Ocean Interaction, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200438, China
Shanghai Key Laboratory of Ocean-land-atmosphere Boundary Dynamics and Climate Change, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200438, China
National Observations and Research Station for Wetland Ecosystems of the Yangtze Estuary, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200438, China
Chenqi Zhang
Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences & Institute of Atmospheric Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
Hongru Shen
Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences & Institute of Atmospheric Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
present address: School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, PR China
Hao Ma
Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences & Institute of Atmospheric Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
Iida Pullinen
Institute of Energy and Climate Research, IEK-8: Troposphere, Forschungszentrum Jülich, Jülich, Germany
present address: Department of Technical Physics, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, 70211, Finland
Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences & Institute of Atmospheric Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
Shanghai Key Laboratory of Ocean-land-atmosphere Boundary Dynamics and Climate Change, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200438, China
National Observations and Research Station for Wetland Ecosystems of the Yangtze Estuary, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200438, China
Institute of Eco-Chongming (IEC), 1050 Baozhen, Lühua Town, Chongming District, Shanghai 202151, China
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Sungah Kang, Jürgen Wildt, Iida Pullinen, Luc Vereecken, Cheng Wu, Andreas Wahner, Sören R. Zorn, and Thomas F. Mentel
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 15715–15740, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-15715-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-15715-2025, 2025
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Highly oxygenated organic molecules by atmospheric oxidation of plant emitted monoterpenes are important components in secondary organic aerosol formation. Autoxidation of organic peroxy radicals is one important pathway of their formation. We show that isomerization of highly oxygenated alkoxy radicals leads to highly oxygenated peroxy radicals that continue the autoxidation chain. Alkoxy-peroxy steps may dominate the formation of highly oxygenated molecules at high nitrogen oxide levels.
Arttu Ylisirniö, Noora Hyttinen, Zijun Li, Mitchell Alton, Aki Nissinen, Iida Pullinen, Pasi Miettinen, Taina Yli-Juuti, and Siegfried Schobesberger
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 18, 6449–6464, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-18-6449-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-18-6449-2025, 2025
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This study increases the knowledge of the low-volatility organic compounds observed in ambient aerosol particles by providing new volatility information about compounds used for calibrating volatility measurement instruments. Previously, such information was not available, and calibration of the instrument had to be extrapolated to cover the whole measurement range. Results of this study will provide the scientific community with better tools for investigating the complexity of ambient aerosols.
Yali Jin, Hao Luo, Siqi Tang, Shuhui Xue, Chengyu Nie, Xiaocong Peng, Yan Zheng, Weiqi Xu, Guohua Zhang, Xiaole Pan, Yele Sun, Qi Chen, Lanzhong Liu, and Defeng Zhao
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-4322, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-4322, 2025
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Cloud substantially changes the compositions organic aerosol. How cloud processing of organics occur on molecular level remains unclear. We found that compared with cloud free particles, organics in cloud contains more large molecules likely due to accretion reactions and has more nitrogen-containing compounds. We identify some new compounds formed in cloud. Such modifications of the organics in cloud can further change its physicochemical properties, and impact on climate and human health.
Hao Luo, Luc Vereecken, Hongru Shen, Sungah Kang, Iida Pullinen, Mattias Hallquist, Hendrik Fuchs, Andreas Wahner, Astrid Kiendler-Scharr, Thomas F. Mentel, and Defeng Zhao
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 23, 7297–7319, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-7297-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-7297-2023, 2023
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Oxidation of limonene, an element emitted by trees and chemical products, by OH, a daytime oxidant, forms many highly oxygenated organic molecules (HOMs), including C10-20 compounds. HOMs play an important role in new particle formation and growth. HOM formation can be explained by the chemistry of peroxy radicals. We found that a minor branching ratio initial pathway plays an unexpected, significant role. Considering this pathway enables accurate simulations of HOMs and other concentrations.
Zijun Li, Angela Buchholz, Luis M. F. Barreira, Arttu Ylisirniö, Liqing Hao, Iida Pullinen, Siegfried Schobesberger, and Annele Virtanen
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 23, 203–220, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-203-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-203-2023, 2023
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Interaction between NOx and biogenic emissions can be important in suburban areas. Our study showed that the addition of NOx during α-pinene SOA formation produced considerable amounts of organic nitrates and affected the composition of non-nitrated organic compounds. The compositional difference consequently altered the primary type of aqueous-phase processes during the isothermal particle evaporation.
Silvia M. Calderón, Juha Tonttila, Angela Buchholz, Jorma Joutsensaari, Mika Komppula, Ari Leskinen, Liqing Hao, Dmitri Moisseev, Iida Pullinen, Petri Tiitta, Jian Xu, Annele Virtanen, Harri Kokkola, and Sami Romakkaniemi
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 22, 12417–12441, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-12417-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-12417-2022, 2022
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The spatial and temporal restrictions of observations and oversimplified aerosol representation in large eddy simulations (LES) limit our understanding of aerosol–stratocumulus interactions. In this closure study of in situ and remote sensing observations and outputs from UCLALES–SALSA, we have assessed the role of convective overturning and aerosol effects in two cloud events observed at the Puijo SMEAR IV station, Finland, a diurnal-high aerosol case and a nocturnal-low aerosol case.
Yindong Guo, Hongru Shen, Iida Pullinen, Hao Luo, Sungah Kang, Luc Vereecken, Hendrik Fuchs, Mattias Hallquist, Ismail-Hakki Acir, Ralf Tillmann, Franz Rohrer, Jürgen Wildt, Astrid Kiendler-Scharr, Andreas Wahner, Defeng Zhao, and Thomas F. Mentel
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 22, 11323–11346, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-11323-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-11323-2022, 2022
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The oxidation of limonene, a common volatile emitted by trees and chemical products, by NO3, a nighttime oxidant, forms many highly oxygenated organic molecules (HOM), including C10-30 compounds. Most of the HOM are second-generation organic nitrates, in which carbonyl-substituted C10 nitrates accounted for a major fraction. Their formation can be explained by chemistry of peroxy radicals. HOM, especially low-volatile ones, play an important role in nighttime new particle formation and growth.
Lisa J. Beck, Siegfried Schobesberger, Heikki Junninen, Janne Lampilahti, Antti Manninen, Lubna Dada, Katri Leino, Xu-Cheng He, Iida Pullinen, Lauriane L. J. Quéléver, Anna Franck, Pyry Poutanen, Daniela Wimmer, Frans Korhonen, Mikko Sipilä, Mikael Ehn, Douglas R. Worsnop, Veli-Matti Kerminen, Tuukka Petäjä, Markku Kulmala, and Jonathan Duplissy
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 22, 8547–8577, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-8547-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-8547-2022, 2022
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The presented article introduces an overview of atmospheric ions and their composition above the boreal forest. We provide the results of an extensive airborne measurement campaign with an air ion mass spectrometer and particle measurements, showing their diurnal evolution within the boundary layer and free troposphere. In addition, we compare the airborne dataset with the co-located data from the ground at SMEAR II station, Finland.
Noora Hyttinen, Iida Pullinen, Aki Nissinen, Siegfried Schobesberger, Annele Virtanen, and Taina Yli-Juuti
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 22, 1195–1208, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-1195-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-1195-2022, 2022
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Accurate saturation vapor pressure estimates of atmospherically relevant organic compounds are critical for modeling secondary organic aerosol (SOA) formation. We investigated vapor pressures of highly oxygenated SOA constituents using state-of-the-art computational and experimental methods. We found a good agreement between low and extremely low vapor pressures estimated using the two methods, and the smallest molecules detected in our experiment were likely products of thermal decomposition.
Janne Lampilahti, Hanna E. Manninen, Tuomo Nieminen, Sander Mirme, Mikael Ehn, Iida Pullinen, Katri Leino, Siegfried Schobesberger, Juha Kangasluoma, Jenni Kontkanen, Emma Järvinen, Riikka Väänänen, Taina Yli-Juuti, Radovan Krejci, Katrianne Lehtipalo, Janne Levula, Aadu Mirme, Stefano Decesari, Ralf Tillmann, Douglas R. Worsnop, Franz Rohrer, Astrid Kiendler-Scharr, Tuukka Petäjä, Veli-Matti Kerminen, Thomas F. Mentel, and Markku Kulmala
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 21, 12649–12663, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-12649-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-12649-2021, 2021
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We studied aerosol particle formation and growth in different parts of the planetary boundary layer at two different locations (Po Valley, Italy, and Hyytiälä, Finland). The observations consist of airborne measurements on board an instrumented Zeppelin and a small airplane combined with comprehensive ground-based measurements.
Luis M. F. Barreira, Arttu Ylisirniö, Iida Pullinen, Angela Buchholz, Zijun Li, Helina Lipp, Heikki Junninen, Urmas Hõrrak, Steffen M. Noe, Alisa Krasnova, Dmitrii Krasnov, Kaia Kask, Eero Talts, Ülo Niinemets, Jose Ruiz-Jimenez, and Siegfried Schobesberger
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 21, 11781–11800, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-11781-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-11781-2021, 2021
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We present results from PM1 atmospheric composition and concentration measurements performed in a springtime hemiboreal forest. Sesquiterpene mixing ratios and particle-phase concentrations of corresponding oxidation products were rapidly increasing on some early mornings. The particle volatility suggested that condensable sesquiterpene oxidation products are rapidly formed in the atmosphere. The results revealed the importance of sesquiterpenes for secondary organic aerosol particulate mass.
Ana A. Piedehierro, André Welti, Angela Buchholz, Kimmo Korhonen, Iida Pullinen, Ilkka Summanen, Annele Virtanen, and Ari Laaksonen
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 21, 11069–11078, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-11069-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-11069-2021, 2021
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Ice crystals in cirrus clouds contain particles that start ice formation. We study whether particles forming above boreal forests can help in the making of cirrus clouds and if the water content in the particles affects this property. In the laboratory, we made boreal-forest-like particles and cooled and humidified them to measure whether an ice crystal develops. We found that only when dry can these particles form an ice crystal but no better than solution droplets.
Rongrong Wu, Luc Vereecken, Epameinondas Tsiligiannis, Sungah Kang, Sascha R. Albrecht, Luisa Hantschke, Defeng Zhao, Anna Novelli, Hendrik Fuchs, Ralf Tillmann, Thorsten Hohaus, Philip T. M. Carlsson, Justin Shenolikar, François Bernard, John N. Crowley, Juliane L. Fry, Bellamy Brownwood, Joel A. Thornton, Steven S. Brown, Astrid Kiendler-Scharr, Andreas Wahner, Mattias Hallquist, and Thomas F. Mentel
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 21, 10799–10824, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-10799-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-10799-2021, 2021
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Isoprene is the biogenic volatile organic compound with the largest emissions rates. The nighttime reaction of isoprene with the NO3 radical has a large potential to contribute to SOA. We classified isoprene nitrates into generations and proposed formation pathways. Considering the potential functionalization of the isoprene nitrates we propose that mainly isoprene dimers contribute to SOA formation from the isoprene NO3 reactions with at least a 5 % mass yield.
Defeng Zhao, Iida Pullinen, Hendrik Fuchs, Stephanie Schrade, Rongrong Wu, Ismail-Hakki Acir, Ralf Tillmann, Franz Rohrer, Jürgen Wildt, Yindong Guo, Astrid Kiendler-Scharr, Andreas Wahner, Sungah Kang, Luc Vereecken, and Thomas F. Mentel
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 21, 9681–9704, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-9681-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-9681-2021, 2021
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The reaction of isoprene, a biogenic volatile organic compound with the globally largest emission rates, with NO3, an nighttime oxidant influenced heavily by anthropogenic emissions, forms a large number of highly oxygenated organic molecules (HOM). These HOM are formed via one or multiple oxidation steps, followed by autoxidation. Their total yield is much higher than that in the daytime oxidation of isoprene. They may play an important role in nighttime organic aerosol formation and growth.
Michael Priestley, Thomas J. Bannan, Michael Le Breton, Stephen D. Worrall, Sungah Kang, Iida Pullinen, Sebastian Schmitt, Ralf Tillmann, Einhard Kleist, Defeng Zhao, Jürgen Wildt, Olga Garmash, Archit Mehra, Asan Bacak, Dudley E. Shallcross, Astrid Kiendler-Scharr, Åsa M. Hallquist, Mikael Ehn, Hugh Coe, Carl J. Percival, Mattias Hallquist, Thomas F. Mentel, and Gordon McFiggans
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 21, 3473–3490, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-3473-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-3473-2021, 2021
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A significant fraction of emissions from human activity consists of aromatic hydrocarbons, e.g. benzene, which oxidise to form new compounds important for particle growth. Characterisation of benzene oxidation products highlights the range of species produced as well as their chemical properties and contextualises them within relevant frameworks, e.g. MCM. Cluster analysis of the oxidation product time series distinguishes behaviours of CHON compounds that could aid in identifying functionality.
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Short summary
Secondary organic aerosol (SOA) can act as cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) and influence global cloud formation. This study modeled CCN and chemical composition, aerosol size and hygroscopicity (κ) of SOA using a model treating every single step. We evaluated the model ability and limitations in simulated chemical composition, κ, particle size distribution and CCN as a potential benchmark model and found that the accurate simulation of SOA size and κ is essential for reliable CCN prediction.
Secondary organic aerosol (SOA) can act as cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) and influence global...
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