Atmosphere 2017, 8(9), 162; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos8090162
The Impact of Sampling Medium and Environment on Particle Morphology
1
Collaborative Innovation Center of Atmospheric Environment and Equipment Technology, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Nanjing University of Information Science & Technology, Nanjing 210044, China
2
Department of Chemistry and Environmental Science, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, NJ 07102, USA
3
Department of Chemical Biological and Pharmaceutical Engineering, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, NJ 07102, USA
4
Center for Functional Nanomaterials, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, NY 11973, USA
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Received: 23 July 2017 / Revised: 25 August 2017 / Accepted: 26 August 2017 / Published: 29 August 2017
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Morphology and Internal Mixing of Atmospheric Particles)
Abstract
Sampling on different substrates is commonly used in laboratory and field studies to investigate the morphology and mixing state of aerosol particles. Our focus was on the transformations that can occur to the collected particles during storage, handling, and analysis. Particle samples were prepared by electrostatic deposition of size-classified sodium chloride, sulfuric acid, and coated soot aerosols on different substrates. The samples were inspected by electron microscopy before and after exposure to various environments. For coated soot, the imaging results were compared against mass-mobility measurements of airborne particles that underwent similar treatments. The extent of sample alteration ranged from negligible to major, depending on the environment, substrate, and particle composition. We discussed the implications of our findings for cases where morphology and the mixing state of particles must be preserved, and cases where particle transformations are desirable. View Full-TextKeywords:
substrate; morphology; electron microscopy; aerosols; soot; sodium chloride; sulfuric acid; sampling
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Chen, C.; Enekwizu, O.Y.; Ma, Y.; Zakharov, D.; Khalizov, A.F. The Impact of Sampling Medium and Environment on Particle Morphology. Atmosphere 2017, 8, 162.
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