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| author | Theresa Marie Kucinski |
| title | The Heterogeneous Reaction of Isoprene and Kaolinite |
| abstract |
Isoprene is the most abundant biogenic volatile organic compound (BVOC) in the Earth's atmosphere with emissions levels second only to methane. Once in the atmosphere,
isoprene can undergo oxidation reactions and yield products that condense to form secondary organic aerosols (SOA), however there is still uncertainty over these
processes. For example, there is still a discrepancy between model estimations and field measurements of isoprene concentration, especially over forest canopies. We
suggest the reactive uptake of isoprene on mineral solids in soil as a possible sink. A laminar flow reactor was constructed to study the heterogeneous reaction of
isoprene and kaolinite. The isoprene and kaolinite reaction produced adsorbed organic compounds that are suggested to be 2-c-methyl-eryhtritol and possibly the
2-methylthreitol, isomers of the 2-methyl tetrol and a component detected in aerosols. Kinetic analysis with the use of a laminar flow reactor provided an initial
effective reactive uptake coefficient 1.3x10-4 for the heterogeneous reaction of isoprene and kaolinite under dry conditions. Further analysis under relative humidity
is required to determine atmospheric relevance. If uptake coefficients remain on the same order of magnitude under humidified conditions, then this reaction would be
considered a significant atmospheric process.
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| school | The College of Liberal Arts, Drew University |
| degree | B.A. (2016) |
| advisor | Dr. Ryan Hinrichs |
| committee | Dr. Adam Cassano
Dr. Lisa Jordan
Dr. Michael Peglau |
| full text | TMKucinski.pdf |
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