A recent study published in Nature Communications offers significant insights into how air pollution forms at the molecular level, particularly focusing on the chemical processes at the boundary between aqueous solutions and vapor in the atmosphere. This boundary layer, though extremely thin, plays a critical role in atmospheric reactions that influence air quality and climate change. The research highlights how acid-base equilibria behave differently at the interface compared to within the bulk of a solution. Specifically, when sulfur dioxide (SO2) dissolves in water, the equilibrium between bisulfite and sulfonate shifts notably toward sulfonate at the interface under acidic conditions. Molecular dynamics simulations show that this shift is due to the stabilization of sulfonate ions and their acid at the interface, driven by ion pairing and dehydration barriers. This discovery improves our understanding of aerosol behavior in the atmosphere, which is essential for developing strategies to mitigate air pollution. The research was a collaborative effort involving multiple international institutions, including the Fritz Haber Institute and ETH Zurich.
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