Nighttime Aqueous-Phase Formation of Nitrocatechols in the Atmospheric Condensed Phase

Yellow-colored methylnitrocatechols (MNC) contribute to the total organic aerosol mass and significantly alter absorption properties of the atmosphere. To date, their formation mechanisms are still not understood. In this work, the intriguing role of HNO₂ (catalytic and oxidative) in the dark transformation of 3-methylcatechol (3MC) under atmospherically relevant aqueous-phase conditions is emphasized. Three possible pathways of dark 3-methyl-5-nitrocatechol and 3-methyl-4-nitrocatechol formation, markedly dependent on reaction conditions, were considered. In the dominant pathway, HNO₂ is directly involved in the transformation of 3MC via consecutive oxidation and conjugated addition reactions (nonradical reaction mechanism). The two-step nitration dominates at a pH around the p K_a of HNO₂, which is typical for atmospheric aerosols, and is moderately dependent on temperature. Under very acidic conditions, the other two nitration pathways, oxidative aromatic nitration (electrophilic) and recombination of radical species, gain in importance. The predicted atmospheric lifetime of 3MC according to the dominant mechanism at these conditions (2.4 days at pH 4.5 and 25 °C) is more than 3-times shorter than that via the other two competitive pathways. Our results highlight the significance of a catechol oxidation-conjugated addition reaction in a nighttime secondary nitroaromatic chromophore formation in the atmosphere, especially in polluted environments with high NO _x concentrations and relatively acidic particles (pH around 3).