Glyoxal and methylglyoxal are two common dicarbonyls found in the earth’s atmosphere, originating from the oxidation of both biogenic and anthropogenic sources such as isoprene and 2-butanone. They partition into aqueous aerosols, where they can react with other molecules in the aqueous phase and undergo photolytic reactions. These reactions are thought to play a role in the formation of secondary organic aerosols (SOAs), which contribute to the overall amount of aerosols in earth’s atmosphere. These aerosols affect air quality, cloud formation, and global temperature, as they reflect or absorb light, depending on their composition. This research focuses on kinetic studies of the degradation of glyoxal and methylglyoxal in solution with hydrogen peroxide when exposed to UV light, as well as the identification of products formed during such reactions. Preliminary data from GC/FID showed evidence of a zero order reaction (k = 3 x 10-7 M s-1) for glyoxal, and a first order reaction (k = 2 x 10-4 s-1) for methylglyoxal. Based on GC/MS results, methylglyoxal produces acetic acid, which can also react with OH radicals.

Kinetic studies of the photolysis of dicarbonyls

253rd National Meeting (2017)

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