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Updated: Oct 18, 2025
Retropinacol/Cross-pinacol Coupling Reactions - A Catalytic Access to 1,2-Unsymmetrical Diols
Published on: April 4, 2014
Molecular Chirality and Cloud Activation Potentials of Dimeric α-Pinene Oxidation Products
Aleia Bellcross1, Ariana Gray Bé1, Franz M Geiger1
1Department of Chemistry, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States.
Abstract:
The surface activity of ten atmospherically relevant α-pinene-derived dimers having varying terminal functional groups and backbone stereochemistry is reported. We find ∼10% differences in surface activity between diastereomers of the same dimer, demonstrating that surface activity depends upon backbone stereochemistry. Octanol-water (K) and octanol-ammonium sulfate partitioning coefficient (K) measurements of our standards align well with the surface activity measurements, with the more surface-active dimers exhibiting increased hydrophobicity. Our findings establish a link between molecular chirality and cloud activation potential of secondary organic aerosol particles. Given the diurnal variations in enantiomeric excess of biogenic emissions, possible contributions of such a link to biosphere:atmosphere feedbacks as well as aerosol particle viscosity and phase separation are discussed.
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