Flash freeze flow tube to vitrify aerosol particles at fixed relative humidity values

Development of methods to measure the phase transitions and physical properties of submicron atmospheric aerosol particles is needed to better model these systems. In this paper, we present a method to flash freeze submicron particles to measure phase transitions as a function of relative humidity (RH). Particles are equilibrated at a fixed RH, vitrified in a temperature-controlled flow tube, and imaged with cryogenic transmission electron microscopy (cryo-TEM). We demonstrate the use of the technique for measuring the efflorescence relative humidity (ERH) of potassium sulfate and potassium chloride aerosol as well as the separation RH (SRH) for a multicomponent organic/inorganic system that undergoes liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS). The location of phase transitions can shift between the micrometer and nanometer size regimes, and particles in a given population may have a range of RH over which a phase transition occurs. This technique addresses these requirements by allowing for characterization of the phase transitions for individual particles in a population on the submicron scale.

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Work Title Flash freeze flow tube to vitrify aerosol particles at fixed relative humidity values
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Open Access
Creators
  1. Theresa M. Kucinski
  2. Emily Jean E. Ott
  3. Miriam Arak Freedman
License In Copyright (Rights Reserved)
Work Type Article
Publisher
  1. Analytical Chemistry
Publication Date April 7, 2020
Publisher Identifier (DOI)
  1. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.analchem.9b05757
Deposited December 21, 2021

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  • Created
  • Added 2020_Kucinski_flash_freeze-edits-tmk-2-26-2020.pdf
  • Added flash_freeze-SI-tmk-2-26-2020.pdf
  • Added Creator Theresa M. Kucinski
  • Added Creator Emily Jean E. Ott
  • Added Creator Miriam Arak Freedman
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