Surface-Active cis-Pinonic Acid in Atmospheric Droplets : A Molecular Dynamics Study

• Water vapor in the atmosphere can condensate and form cloud droplets when there is a certain amount of humidity and a presence of cloud condensation nuclei, and organic solutes called surfactants can significantly lower the surface tension of water-one of the parameters determining cloud droplet population. We here present a molecular dynamics study of the behavior of cis-pinonic acid, a commonly found organic compound in cloud condensation nuclei, and its effect on the surface tension of water clusters. Specifically, the decrease in surface tension is found to depend on not only the concentration of the organic compound but also the droplet size due to the spontaneous assembly of the surfactant molecules on the droplet surface. This leads to the conclusion that the partitioning of the surfactant between the bulk and surface plays an important role in the behavior of atmospheric aerosol particles and thus in their availability for cloud formation.

Subject headings

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Kemi (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Chemical Sciences (hsv//eng)

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Geovetenskap och miljövetenskap -- Meteorologi och atmosfärforskning (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Earth and Related Environmental Sciences -- Meteorology and Atmospheric Sciences (hsv//eng)

Keyword

LINEAR CONSTRAINT SOLVER

PARTICLE MESH EWALD

COATED NANOAEROSOLS

AQUEOUS-SOLUTIONS

ORGANIC-COMPOUNDS

TENSION

SIMULATIONS

NUCLEUS

LINCS

Chemistry

Kemi

Kemi

Meteorology

meteorologi

atmosfärvetenskap och oceanografi

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

art (subject category)