Articles | Volume 17, issue 8
https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-2415-2024
https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-2415-2024
Research article
 | 
23 Apr 2024
Research article |  | 23 Apr 2024

Response of protonated, adduct, and fragmented ions in Vocus proton-transfer-reaction time-of-flight mass spectrometer (PTR-ToF-MS)

Fangbing Li, Dan Dan Huang, Linhui Tian, Bin Yuan, Wen Tan, Liang Zhu, Penglin Ye, Douglas Worsnop, Ka In Hoi, Kai Meng Mok, and Yong Jie Li

Related authors

Tracking surface ozone responses to clean air actions under a warming climate in China using machine learning
Jie Fang, Yunjiang Zhang, Didier Hauglustaine, Bo Zheng, Ming Wang, Jingyi Li, Yong Sun, Haiwei Li, Junfeng Wang, Yun Wu, Bin Yuan, Mindong Chen, and Xinlei Ge
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 26, 851–867, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-26-851-2026,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-26-851-2026, 2026
Short summary
Voltage Scanning to Calibrate Multi-Reagent Chemical Ionization Mass Spectrometers (MR-CIMS): From Signal to Sensitivity
Yuwei Wang, Aristeidis Voliotis, Emily Matthews, Rongrong Wu, Milan Roska, Max Gerrit Adam, René Dubus, Lukas Kesper, Franz Rohrer, Robert Wegener, Benjamin Winter, Kelvin H. Bates, Quanfu He, Thorsten Hohaus, Achim Grasse, Ralf Tillmann, Andreas Wahner, Hui Wang, Christian Wesolek, Sergej Wedel, Yizhen Wu, Sören R. Zorn, Manjula Canagaratna, Douglas Worsnop, Felipe Lopez-Hilfiker, Georgios I. Gkatzelis, Hugh Coe, and Thomas J. Bannan
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-6102,https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-6102, 2026
This preprint is open for discussion and under review for Atmospheric Measurement Techniques (AMT).
Short summary
New insight into the formation and aging processes of organic aerosol from positive matrix factorization (PMF) analysis of ambient FIGAERO-CIMS thermograms
Mingfu Cai, Bin Yuan, Weiwei Hu, Ye Chenshuo, Shan Huang, Suxia Yang, Wei Chen, Yuwen Peng, Zhaoxiong Deng, Jun Zhao, Duohong Chen, Jiaren Sun, and Min Shao
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 26, 769–788, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-26-769-2026,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-26-769-2026, 2026
Short summary
Strong primary contribution to brown carbon light absorption in Tibet and urban areas: insights based on in situ measurements
Wenhui Zhao, Weiwei Hu, Zhaoce Liu, Tianle Pan, Tingting Feng, Jun Wang, Yiyu Cai, Lin Liang, Shan Huang, Bin Yuan, Nan Ma, Min Shao, Guohua Zhang, Xinhui Bi, Xinming Wang, and Pengfei Yu
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 26, 135–154, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-26-135-2026,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-26-135-2026, 2026
Short summary
Seasonal Variability and Cloud-Type Effects on Secondary Organic Aerosol Formation During Cloud Events at a Mountainous Site in Southeastern China
Yi Zhang, Weiqi Xu, Yan Li, Guohua Zhang, Dantong Liu, Ye Kuang, Yu Zhang, Wei Zhou, Xiaocong Peng, Bojiang Su, Weihong Huang, Zijun Zhang, Liu Yang, Yangzhou Wu, Siyuan Li, Shitong Zhao, Lanzhong Liu, Xiaole Pan, Zifa Wang, Xinhui Bi, Mikael Ehn, Douglas R. Worsnop, and Yele Sun
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-5835,https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-5835, 2025
This preprint is open for discussion and under review for Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics (ACP).
Short summary

Cited articles

Baasandorj, M., Millet, D. B., Hu, L., Mitroo, D., and Williams, B. J.: Measuring acetic and formic acid by proton-transfer-reaction mass spectrometry: sensitivity, humidity dependence, and quantifying interferences, Atmos. Meas. Tech., 8, 1303–1321, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-8-1303-2015, 2015. 
Cappellin, L., Karl, T., Probst, M., Ismailova, O., Winkler, P. M., Soukoulis, C., Aprea, E., Märk, T. D., Gasperi, F., and Biasioli, F.: On Quantitative Determination of Volatile Organic Compound Concentrations Using Proton Transfer Reaction Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry, Environ. Sci. Technol., 46, 2283–2290, https://doi.org/10.1021/es203985t, 2012. 
Claflin, M. S., Pagonis, D., Finewax, Z., Handschy, A. V., Day, D. A., Brown, W. L., Jayne, J. T., Worsnop, D. R., Jimenez, J. L., Ziemann, P. J., de Gouw, J., and Lerner, B. M.: An in situ gas chromatograph with automatic detector switching between PTR- and EI-TOF-MS: isomer-resolved measurements of indoor air, Atmos. Meas. Tech., 14, 133–152, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-14-133-2021, 2021. 
Cui, L., Zhang, Z., Huang, Y., Lee, S. C., Blake, D. R., Ho, K. F., Wang, B., Gao, Y., Wang, X. M., and Louie, P. K. K.: Measuring OVOCs and VOCs by PTR-MS in an urban roadside microenvironment of Hong Kong: relative humidity and temperature dependence, and field intercomparisons, Atmos. Meas. Tech., 9, 5763–5779, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-9-5763-2016, 2016. 
de Gouw, J. and Warneke, C.: Measurements of volatile organic compounds in the earths atmosphere using proton-transfer-reaction mass spectrometry, Mass Spectrom. Rev., 26, 223–257, https://doi.org/10.1002/mas.20119, 2007. 
Download
Short summary
The responses of protonated, adduct, and fragmented ions of 21 volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were investigated with varying instrument settings and relative humidity (RH) in a Vocus proton-transfer-reaction mass spectrometer (PTR-MS). The protonated ions of most VOCs studied show < 15 % variation in sensitivity, except for some long-chain aldehydes. The relationship between sensitivity and PTR rate constant is complicated by the influences from ion transmission and protonated ion fraction.
Share