Sulfur dioxide, an important gas in interfacial atmospheric chemistry and a well-known precursor to acid rain, shows weak affinity for surface water at room temperature. This finding ultimately begs the question: what actually motivates the adsorption of SO2 to water? Previous studies have shown at atmospherically relevant temperatures, SO2 exhibits enhanced surface affinity. Yet, in considering the salinity of the oceans and their resultant aerosol particles, one must also explore the effects of salt on SO2 adsorption in order to develop a more complete picture of the atmospheric processes at play. Ongoing studies from our laboratory use surface spectroscopy techniques to examine the adsorption of SO2 to water under varying solute conditions. This presentation will describe our recent findings while further developing the overall picture of these crucial atmospheric processes.

Salt of the earth: Spectroscopic studies of gas adsorption onto water surfaces under various solute conditions

243rd National Meeting (2012)

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