Salting out, non-ideality and synergism enhance surfactant efficiency in atmospheric aerosols.

ABSTRACT: In Earth's atmosphere, the surface tension of sub-micron aerosol particles is suspected to affect their efficiency in becoming cloud droplets. But this quantity cannot be measured directly and is inferred from the chemical compounds present in aerosols. Amphiphilic surfactants have been evidenced in aerosols but experimental information on the surface properties of their mixtures with other aerosol components is lacking. This work explores experimentally the surface properties of aqueous mixtures of amphiphilic surfactants (SDS, Brij35, TritonX100, TritonX114, and CTAC) with inorganic salts (NaCl, (NH₄)₂SO₄) and soluble organic acids (oxalic and glutaric acid) using pendant droplet tensiometry. Contrary to what could be expected, inorganic salts and organic

SUBMITTER: El Haber M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10673862 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature