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We describe the characterization and field deployment of chemical ionization mass spectrometry (CIMS) using a recently developed focusing ion-molecule reactor (FIMR) and ammonium–water cluster (NH4+⋅H2O) as the reagent ion (denoted as NH4+ CIMS). We show that NH4+⋅H2O is a highly versatile reagent ion for measurements of a wide range of oxygenated organic compounds. The major product ion is the cluster with NH4+ produced via ligand-switching reactions. Other product ions (e.g., protonated ion, cluster ion with NH4+⋅H2O , with H3O+ , and with H3O+⋅H2O) are also produced, but with minor fractions for most of the oxygenated compounds studied here. The instrument sensitivities (ion counts per second per part per billion by volume, cps ppbv -1) and product distributions are strongly dependent on the instrument operating conditions, including the ratio of ammonia (NH3) and H2O flows and the drift voltages, which should be carefully selected to ensure NH4+⋅H2O as the predominant reagent ion and to optimize sensitivities. For monofunctional analytes, the NH4+⋅H2O chemistry exhibits high sensitivity (i.e., >1000 cps ppbv -1) to ketones, moderate sensitivity (i.e., between 100 and 1000 cps ppbv -1) to aldehydes, alcohols, organic acids, and monoterpenes, low sensitivity (i.e., between 10 and 100 cps ppbv -1) to isoprene and C1 and C2 organics, and negligible sensitivity (i.e., <10 cps ppbv -1) to reduced aromatics. The instrumental sensitivities of analytes depend on the binding energy of the analyte– NH4+ cluster, which can be estimated using voltage scanning. This offers the possibility to constrain the sensitivity of analytes for which no calibration standards exist. This instrument was deployed in the RECAP campaign (Re-Evaluating the Chemistry of Air Pollutants in California) in Pasadena, California, during summer 2021. Measurement comparisons against co-located mass spectrometers show that the NH4+ CIMS is capable of detecting compounds from a wide range of chemical classes. The NH4+ CIMS is valuable for quantification of oxygenated volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and is complementary to existing chemical ionization schemes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we describe the characterization and field deployment of a Chemical Ionization Mass Spectrometry (CIMS) using a recently developed focusing ion-molecule reactor (FIMR) and ammonium-water cluster (NH4+·H2O) as the reagent ion (denoted as NH4+ CIMS). We show that NH4+·H2O is a highly versatile reagent ion for measurements of a wide range of oxygenated organic compounds. The major product ion is the cluster with NH4+ produced via ligand-switching reactions. Other product ions (e.g., protonated ion, cluster ion with NH4+·H2O, with H3O+, and with H3O+·H2O) are also produced, but with minor fractions for most of the oxygenated compounds studied here. The instrument sensitivities (counts per second per ppbv, cps ppbv-1) and product distributions are strongly dependent on the instrument operating conditions, including the ratio of ammonia (NH3) and H2O flows and the drift voltages, which should be carefully selected to ensure NH4+·H2O as the predominant reagent ion and to optimize sensitivities. For monofunctional analytes, the NH4+·H2O chemistry exhibits high sensitivity (i.e., > 1000 cps ppbv-1) towards ketones, moderate sensitivity (i.e., between 100 and 1000 cps ppbv-1) towards aldehdyes, alcohols, organic acids, and monoterpenes, low sensitivity (i.e., between 10 and 100 cps ppbv-1) towards isoprene and C1 and C2 organics, and negligible sensitivity (i.e., < 10 cps ppbv-1) towards reduced aromatics. The instrumental sensitivities of analytes depend on the binding energy of the analyte-NH4+ cluster, which can be estimated using voltage scanning. This offers the possibility to constrain the sensitivity of analytes for which no calibration standards exist. This instrument was deployed in the RECAP campaign (Re-Evaluating the Chemistry of Air Pollutants in California) in Pasadena, California during summer 2021. Measurement comparisons against co-located mass spectrometers show that the NH4+ CIMS is capable of detecting compounds from a wide range of chemical classes. The NH4+ CIMS is valuable for quantification of oxygenated VOCs and is complementary to existing chemical ionization schemes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Comprehensive aircraft measurements of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) covering the South Coast Air Basin (SoCAB) and San Joaquin Valley (SJV) of California were obtained in the summer of 2019. Combined with the CO, CH 4 , and NO x data, the total calculated gas-phase hydroxyl radical reactivity (cOHR TOTAL) was quantified to be 6.1 and 4.6 s -1 for the SoCAB and SJV, respectively. VOCs accounted for ∼ 60 %–70 % of the cOHR TOTAL in both basins. In particular, oxygenated VOCs (OVOCs) contributed >60 % of the cOHR of total VOCs (cOHR VOC) and the total observed VOC mixing ratio. Primary biogenic VOCs (BVOCs) represented a minor fraction (<2 %) of the total VOC mixing ratio but accounted for 21 % and 6 % of the cOHR VOC in the SoCAB and SJV, respectively. Furthermore, the contribution of BVOCs to the cOHR VOC increased with increasing cOHR VOC in the SoCAB, suggesting that BVOCs were important ozone precursors during high ozone episodes. Spatially, the trace gases were heterogeneously distributed in the SoCAB, with their mixing ratios and cOHR being significantly greater over the inland regions than the coast, while their levels were more evenly distributed in SJV. The results highlight that a better grasp of the emission rates and sources of OVOCs and BVOCs is essential for a predictive understanding of the ozone abundance and distribution in California. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]