Operando gas- and particle-phase measurements of combustion cigarette smoke aerosols by vacuum ultraviolet photoionization mass spectrometry

Abstract

Cigarette smoke is a dynamically changing aerosol system and the operando measurement of its complex chemical compositions is challenging. In this work, the gas- and particle-phase components of combustion cigarette smoke aerosols, which usually have different adverse influences on environment and human health, have been separated and their individual compositions are measured online by using a novel vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) photoionization time-of-flight mass spectrometer. The gas-phase compositions are clearly identified and ascribed to low-mass volatile organic compounds (VOCs), while the particle-phase are more complicated and dominated with abundant semi- or non-volatile organics. The present results demonstrate that some compositions only present in gas- or particle-phase, but some can exist in both phases. In addition, the signals of the gas- and particle-phases increase with the puff number of smoking and their dynamical processes are discussed. The puff-by-puff increase of the gas-phase components is more obvious than that of the particle-phase, implying their different mechanisms involved in the smoking.