Chemistry of Small Organic Molecules on Snow Grains: The Applicability of Artificial Snow for Environmental Studies

0364650 - ÚOCHB 2012 RIV US eng J - Journal Article
Kurková, R. - Ray, D. - Nachtigallová, Dana - Klán, P.
Chemistry of Small Organic Molecules on Snow Grains: The Applicability of Artificial Snow for Environmental Studies.
Environmental Science and Technology. Roč. 45, č. 8 (2011), s. 3430-3436. ISSN 0013-936X. E-ISSN 1520-5851
R&D Projects: GA MŠMT LC512
Grant - others:GA ČR(CZ) GAP503/10/0947
Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z40550506
Keywords : water-ice * photochemical decomposition * dibenzyl-ketones
Subject RIV: CF - Physical ; Theoretical Chemistry
Impact factor: 5.228, year: 2011

The utilization of artificial snow for environmentally relevant (photo)chemical studies was systematically investigated. The SSA of artificial snow grains produced in liquid nitrogen was determined using valerophenone photochemistry to estimate the surface coverage by small hydrophobic contaminants. The initial ketone loading, only about 1−2 orders of magnitude higher than the contaminant concentrations found in nature, was already well below monolayer coverage. We found that the efficiency of out-of-cage reactions decreased at much higher temperatures than those for frozen solutions; however, the cage effect was essentially the same no matter what technique of snow production or ketone deposition/uptake was used. The experimental observation that the contaminant molecules are initially self-associated even at the lowest concentrations was supported by DFT calculations.
Permanent Link: http://hdl.handle.net/11104/0200081