The partitioning of semivolatile organic compounds (SVOCs) between the condensed and gas phases can have significant implications for the properties of aerosol particles. In addition to affecting size and composition, this partitioning can alter radiative properties and impact cloud activation processes. We present measurements and model predictions on how activity and pH influence the evaporation of SVOCs from particles to the gas phase, specifically investigating aqueous inorganic particles containing dicarboxylic acids (DCAs). The aerosols are studied at the single-particle level by using optical trapping and cavity-enhanced Raman spectroscopy. Optical resonances in the spectra enable precise size tracking, while vibrational bands allow real-time monitoring of pH. Results are compared to a Maxwell-type model that accounts for volatile and nonvolatile solutes in aqueous droplets that are held at a constant relative humidity. The aerosol inorganic-organic mixture functional group activity coefficients thermodynamic model and Debye-Hückel theory are both used to calculate the activities of the species present in the droplet. For DCAs, we find that the evaporation rate is highly sensitive to the particle pH. For acidity changes of approximately 1.5 pH units, we observe a shift from a volatile system to one that is completely nonvolatile. We also observe that the pH itself is not constant during evaporation; it increases as DCAs evaporate, slowing the rate of evaporation until it eventually ceases. Whether a DCA evaporates or remains a stable component of the droplet is determined by the difference between the lowest pKa of the DCA and the pH of the droplet.
Keywords: Debye–Hückel theory; Raman spectroscopy; aerosol pH; aerosol thermodynamic models; dicarboxylic acids; evaporation; gas–particle partitioning.