Single particle levitation allows for samples to be manipulated in a contactless manner and exposed to environmental conditions that mimic the atmosphere over extended timescales. Using a linear quadrupole electrodynamic balance, we can confine and analyze multiple particles in a vertical stack, facilitating direct comparisons between particles of different composition and allowing for time-resolved chemical analysis by sequential sampling into a mass spectrometer. In this talk, we review these capabilities and demonstrate how they can be applied towards exploring the physical state, optical properties, and chemical reactivity of aerosol particles. We will focus our discussions on the behavior of particles containing brown carbon chromophores, revealing the extent of their hygroscopic interactions, the formation of liquid-liquid phase separated states, and exploring the rate of photolysis as a function of environmental conditions.

Applications of single particle levitation to exploring the physical chemistry of light-absorbing aerosol

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ACS Spring 2023

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