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Abstract Number: 51 Working Group: Aerosol Chemistry Abstract Isoprene, a volatile organic compound (VOC) is emitted largely by vegetation at a rate of 512 Tg/yr. Based on theoretical calculations and mass spectrometric evidence, Z-δ-hydroperoxyalkenal structures (HPALD1 and HPALD2) have been assigned to C5H8O3 gas-phase compounds accounting for up to 12% of the total first-generation isoprene oxidation products. The putative HPALDs are conjugated carbonyls expected to have a significant absorption cross section at ambient UV wavelengths (> 315 nm). Fast internal energy transfer from the excited alkenal to the O-OH bond is predicted to cause rapid bond dissociation degradation into volatile fragments, with little or no formation of SOA. We undertook synthesis of HPALD2 to verify the structure assigned solely from mass spectrometry. By proton NMR, HPALD2 exists exclusively as the peroxyhemiacetal tautomer, with no carbonyl detected, even in D2O. Tautomerization to the cyclic peroxyhemiacetal is strongly favored by the Z geometry of HPALD2. The peroxyhemiacetal structure of the isoprene photochemical oxidation product was confirmed by matching the IMS drift time of the synthetic standard with a major C5H8O3 product from hydroxyl radical oxidation of isoprene. Lacking the conjugated chromophore, the peroxyhemiacetal does not absorb at > 250 nm will persist at ambient UV wavelengths. In chamber experiments, OH oxidation caused rapid nucleation in the absence of seed, and reactive uptake in the presence of both (NH4)2SO4 and (NH4)HSO4 seed. Products at m/z C5H8O5, C5H10O5, C5H10O6 were detected by on-line monitoring of the gas phase by an iodide-CIMS-high resolution time-of-flight mass spectrometer (HR-ToF-MS). Analysis of filter extracts by hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography coupled to an electrospray ionization HR-ToF-MS detector operated in the negative mode showed major products with compositions C5H10O5 in all experiments, and major sulfated products with compositions C5H10O8S and C3H6O6S in seeded experiments. 

Isoprene (C5H8) is the largest non-methane volatile organic compound emitted into the atmosphere. Isoprene reacts rapidly with ambient hydroxyl radicals (OH) and subsequent addition of O2 results in the formation alkyl peroxy (RO2) radicals. The fate of the initially formed RO2 radicals has been the focus of continuing theoretical and experimental research. Under pristine conditions where bimolecular reactions of RO2 are limited, the thermodynamically favored RO2 undergoes an intramolecular H-shift followed by reaction with O2 and elimination of HO2 to yield 4-hydroperoxy aldehyde (4-HPALD, C5H8O3), predicted to account for up to 13% of first-generation isoprene photochemical oxidation products. Mass spectrometric evidence has been reported for 4-HPALD, but lack of an authentic standard has precluded definitive confirmation of both the structure of 4-HPALD and its origin as a first-generation product of OH oxidation of isoprene. We report the synthesis and characterization of 4-HPALD and establish that it is a major product of isoprene oxidation. Synthetic 4-HPALD is isolated as the peroxyhemiacetal. As expected for the 4-hydroperoxy aldehyde, 1H NMR spectra show no evidence for equilibration with the carbonyl form, even in protic solvents, and gas-phase chemical analysis by CIMS also shows only a single form. OH oxidation of isoprene in an oxidation flow reactor coupled to an ion mobility source with an HR-CIMS detector unequivocally demonstrates 4-HPALD (and likely also 1-HPALD) as isoprene oxidation products. Although HPALDs have been discounted as significant contributors to SOA, oxidation of 4-HPALD in a potential aerosol mass (PAM) reactor in the presence of ozone and OH indicates 4-HPALD rapidly undergoes autooxidation reactions forming low-volatility particulate products. We have confirmed highly oxygenated compounds with compositions C5H8O6 and C5H10O6 likely from OH oxidation, and C5H10O7 and C5H10O8 compounds likely products of ozonolysis. The PAM oxidation experiment further demonstrates that the highly oxygenated, low-volatility products efficiently nucleate particles.