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PTR3: An Instrument for Studying the Lifecycle of Reactive Organic Carbon in the Atmosphere
journal contribution
posted on 2017-04-24, 00:00 authored by Martin Breitenlechner, Lukas Fischer, Markus Hainer, Martin Heinritzi, Joachim Curtius, Armin HanselWe have developed
and characterized the novel PTR3, a proton transfer
reaction-time-of-flight mass spectrometer (PTR-TOF) using a new gas
inlet and an innovative reaction chamber design. The reaction chamber
consists of a tripole operated with rf voltages generating an electric
field only in the radial direction. An elevated electrical field is
necessary to reduce clustering of primary hydronium (H3O+) and product ions with water molecules present in the
sample gas. The axial movement of the ions is achieved by the sample
gas flow only. Therefore, the new design allows a 30-fold longer reaction
time and a 40-fold increase in pressure compared to standard PTR-TOF-MS.
First calibration tests show sensitivities of up to 18000 counts per
second/parts per billion and volume (cps/ppbv) at a mass resolution
of >8000 m/Δm (fwhm). The
new inlet using center-sampling through a critical orifice reduces
wall losses of low volatility compounds. Therefore, the new PTR3 instrument
is sensitive to VOC typically present in the ppbv range as well as
to semivolatile organic compounds (SVOC) and even highly oxidized
organic molecules (HOMs) present in the parts per quadrillion per
volume (ppqv) range in the atmosphere.
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reaction chambermass resolutiongas inletsample gasproton transfer reaction-time-of-flight mass spectrometerPTR-TOF-MSvolatility compoundsreaction timeSVOCwall losseswater moleculesReactive Organic CarbonFirst calibration tests show sensitivitiessample gas flowH 3 OVOCppbv range18000 countsreaction chamber designproduct ionsvolumerf voltagesPTR 3 instrumentPTR-TOFHOM
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