Experimental study of photooxidation products of ethylbenzene

Smog chamber experiments were performed to investigate the composition of products formed from photooxidation of aromatic hydrocarbon ethylbenzene. Vacuum ultraviolet photoionization mass spectrometer and aerosol time-of-flight mass spectrometer were used to measure the products in the gas and particle phases in real-time. Experimental results demonstrated that ethylphenol, methylglyoxal, phenol, benzaldehyde, and 2-ethylfurane were the predominant photooxidation products in both the gas and particle phases. However, there were some differences between detected gas phase products and those of particle phase, for example, 2-ethylfurane, ethylglyoxylic acid, nitroethylbenzene, 3,4-dioxopentanal and ethyl-nitrophenol were only existing in the particle-phase. The possible reaction mechanisms leading to these products were also discussed and proposed.