The sensitivity limitations of most aerosol analytical methods prevent the direct interrogation of aerosol particle surfaces, yet it is at these surfaces that chemical and physical interactions occur with gas phase species. Size-selected sea spray aerosol (SSA) particles were collected from breaking waves created in a wave flume and analyzed using vibrational sum frequency generation (SFG) spectroscopy. Spectra indicate the presence of CH oscillators that are subject to broad molecular orientation distributions, particularly in the smallest particles. Additionally, spectra obtained from the flume surface microlayer and the smallest particles sampled above it show similar features, which suggests that the CH oscillators located at these particle surfaces may be in similar chemical environments to those found in the surface microlayer. These responses differ from those of larger particles. The molecular insights provided by this analysis are critical for developing a link between surface properties of SSA and their climate-related properties.

Vibrational spectroscopy of the surfaces of sea spray aerosol particles synthesized at the Scripps Hydraulics Laboratory wave flume

245th National Meeting (2013)

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