Radical regeneration from isoprene

摘要

Isoprene is the most abundant hydrocarbon emitted into Earth’s atmosphere each year, apart from methane~1. Once in the atmosphere, isoprene can undergo a series of chemical reactions that generate ozone and submicrometre-sized aerosols at the surface, thereby affecting local air quality, public health and potentially climate. Broadleaf trees found in densely forested areas of the world, such as the Amazon and the deciduous forests of the southeastern United States, are the main source of isoprene to the atmosphere~1. Isoprene is removed from the atmosphere through gas-phase oxidation by hydroxyl (OH) radicals~2. However, the exact nature of the interaction between isoprene and OH radicals - particularly in environments largely untouched by human activities - remains unclear. Writing in Nature Geoscience, Fuchs and colleagues~3 present laboratory-based evidence to suggest that OH radicals are regenerated following oxidation of isoprene in pristine environments.