Experimental study on the influence of dimethylamine on the detection of gas phase sulfuric acid using chemical ionization mass spectrometry (CIMS)

摘要

Based on quantum chemistry calculations it has been suggested that the quantitative detection of gas phase sulfuric acid (H_2SO_4) by use of Chemical Ionization Mass Spectrometry (CIMS) could be biased in the presence of gas phase amines such as dimethylamine (DMA). An experiment was set up at the CLOUD aerosol chamber to test the quantitative detection of H_2SO_4 by CIMS by directly comparing the measured H_2SO_4 with and without DMA being present in the sample air. It was found that the H_2SO_4 cluster distribution changes but the CIMS detection efficiency is not strongly influenced.