Particle-phase accretion forms dimer esters in pinene secondary organic aerosol

Secondary organic aerosol (SOA) is ubiquitous in the atmosphere and plays a pivotal role in climate, air quality, and health. The production of low-volatility dimeric compounds through accretion reactions is a key aspect of SOA formation. However, despite extensive study, the structures and thus the formation mechanisms of dimers in SOA remain largely uncharacterized. In this work, we elucidate the structures of several major dimer esters in SOA from ozonolysis of α-pinene and β-pinene—substantial global SOA sources—through independent synthesis of authentic standards. We show that these dimer esters are formed in the particle phase and propose a mechanism of nucleophilic addition of alcohols to a cyclic acylperoxyhemiacetal. This chemistry likely represents a general pathway to dimeric compounds in ambient SOA.