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PreprintCC BYChemRxiv

A Hidden Acid–Base Ion Pair Scaffolds Organic-Rich Atmospheric Nucleation

  • Huan Yang1,2
  • Markku Kulmala3,4
  • Renyi Zhang5,6
  • Yafang Cheng1,2
6 affiliations
  1. 1Aerosol Chemistry Department
  2. 2Max Planck Institute for Chemistry
  3. 3Institute for Atmospheric and Earth System Research/Physics, Faculty of Science
  4. 4University of Helsinki
  5. 5Department of Atmospheric Sciences, College of Arts and Sciences
  6. 6Texas A&M University
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Abstract

New particle formation is widely observed in organic-rich atmospheric environments where sulfuric acid and basic vapors appear scarce, yet what initiates nucleation and what role trace inorganic acid–base species play remain unclear. Guided by laboratory experiments and field observations, we resolve this ambiguity with a bottom-up framework bridging molecular energetics and nucleation kinetics, tracking nucleation from molecular origin to measurable formation rates. We uncover a hidden pathway in which a multifunctional oxygenated organic molecule (OOM) hydrogen-bonds simultaneously to sulfuric acid and ammonia, inducing proton transfer and stabilizing a charge-separated HSO 4 - –NH 4 + ion pair. This ion pair forms a localized electrostatic scaffold that recruits additional OOMs into a charge-assisted hydrogen-bond network, yielding stable embryonic clusters. Remarkably, a single ion pair unlocks this mechanism, indicating that even trace inorganic species can be indispensable nucleation triggers. Operating across diverse biogenic and anthropogenic OOM systems, ion-pair-scaffolded nucleation may be ubiquitous in the atmosphere.

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Cite

BibTeXRIS
BibTeX
@misc{yang2026hidden,
  title = {{A Hidden Acid–Base Ion Pair Scaffolds Organic-Rich Atmospheric Nucleation}},
  author = {Huan Yang and Markku Kulmala and Renyi Zhang and Yafang Cheng},
  howpublished = {ChemRxiv},
  year = {2026},
  month = sep,
  doi = {10.26434/chemrxiv.15008833/v1},
  url = {https://chemrxiv.org/doi/full/10.26434/chemrxiv.15008833/v1},
  note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY  - UNPB
TI  - A Hidden Acid–Base Ion Pair Scaffolds Organic-Rich Atmospheric Nucleation
AU  - Huan Yang
AU  - Markku Kulmala
AU  - Renyi Zhang
AU  - Yafang Cheng
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/09/15
PB  - ChemRxiv
DO  - 10.26434/chemrxiv.15008833/v1
UR  - https://chemrxiv.org/doi/full/10.26434/chemrxiv.15008833/v1
AB  - New particle formation is widely observed in organic-rich atmospheric environments where sulfuric acid and basic vapors appear scarce, yet what initiates nucleation and what role trace inorganic acid–base species play remain unclear. Guided by laboratory experiments and field observations, we resolve this ambiguity with a bottom-up framework bridging molecular energetics and nucleation kinetics, tracking nucleation from molecular origin to measurable formation rates. We uncover a hidden pathway in which a multifunctional oxygenated organic molecule (OOM) hydrogen-bonds simultaneously to sulfuric acid and ammonia, inducing proton transfer and stabilizing a charge-separated HSO 4 - –NH 4 + ion pair. This ion pair forms a localized electrostatic scaffold that recruits additional OOMs into a charge-assisted hydrogen-bond network, yielding stable embryonic clusters. Remarkably, a single ion pair unlocks this mechanism, indicating that even trace inorganic species can be indispensable nucleation triggers. Operating across diverse biogenic and anthropogenic OOM systems, ion-pair-scaffolded nucleation may be ubiquitous in the atmosphere.
ER  -