Reactions of trace gases with organic material present on atmospheric particles

Another interesting research area involves reactions of organic material that are present on atmospheric particles, which may change the interaction with gases in the atmosphere. Previous studies of the uptake of HNO₃ and N₂O₅ suggest that tightly packed, well ordered monolayers significantly avoid gas uptake, while less ordered films are not so effective. The nature of the interface and the particular gas molecule are important in determining the uptake of gases through organic films. However, it is not clear what the impact on uptake on a reactive species such as OH would be. OH might react with organic coatings, but this has not yet been established experimentally and there are competing effects that should be studied. These mechanisms may have a strong effect in determining the total ozone budget in the troposphere.