Atmospheric Heterogeneous Reaction Chemistry and Theoretical Molecular Science

Abstract

In recent years much of interest in atmospheric chemistry has been focused on atmospheric aerosols. In this article, laboratory kinetic studies and related quantum chemical theoretical studies on typical processes of formation and transformation of organic aerosols have been reviewed. Specifically, it targets on the topics of heterogeneous reactions of atmospheric O3 and OH with organic compounds at the surface of aerosols, and aqueous-phase reactions of dialdehydes (glyoxal and methylglyoxal) in cloud and aerosol particles. In order to attain better understanding on such processes, fundamental studies based on molecular science are needed, and closer collaboration between atmospheric chemistry and theoretical computational chemistry is proposed.