This is unlikely but possible in real atmospheric aerosols. Formation as a surface film has been observed experimentally over a decade ago, see below; there is lab and theory evidence that lenses of fatty acid may form.
Explore this journal > Previous article in issue: Vertical distribution of Saharan dust over Rome (Italy): Comparison between 3-year model predictions and lidar soundings Next article in issue: Impacts of aerosols and clouds on forest-atmosphere carbon exchange View issue TOC Volume 110, Issue D6 27 March 2005 Aerosol and Clouds Fatty acids on continental sulfate aerosol particles Authors H. Tervahattu, J. Juhanoja, V. Vaida, A. F. Tuck, J. V. Niemi, K. Kupiainen, M. Kulmala, H. Vehkamäki First published: 25 March 2005Full publication history DOI: 10.1029/2004JD005400 View/save citation Cited by (CrossRef): 37 articlesCheck for updatesCitation tools Abstract [1] Surface analyses of atmospheric aerosols from different continental sources, such as forest fires and coal and straw burning, show that organic surfactants are found on such aerosols. The predominant organic species detected by time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry on the sulfate aerosols are fatty acids of different carbon chain length up to the C32 acid. These observations are consistent with literature accounts of functional group analysis of bulk samples, but this is the first direct evidence of fatty acid films on the surface of sulfate aerosols. Surface analysis leads to the conclusion that fatty acid films on continental aerosols may be more common than has been previously suggested. On 23 Nov 2017, at 13:45, Andrew Lockley <[email protected]> wrote: > Poster's note : thanks to Chris Vivian for identifying the paper. I'm blaming > the obscure title! I think on-list discussion of the opportunity to use this > effect for geoengineering would be great. For example, could > ultrasonically-misting fats from palm oil or algae be used as a way to > manufacture these aerosols on a climatically-significant scale? > > > Nature Communications > PDF > Complex three-dimensional self-assembly in proxies for atmospheric aerosols > Close menu > Close menuClose menu > Close menu > Article | OPEN > Complex three-dimensional self-assembly in proxies for atmospheric aerosols > C. Pfrang, K. Rastogi, […]A. M. Squires > Nature Communications 8, Article number: 1724(2017) > doi:10.1038/s41467-017-01918-1 > Download Citation > Atmospheric chemistryCharacterization and analytical techniquesMolecular > self-assembly > Received: > 24 March 2017 > Accepted: > 25 October 2017 > Published online: > 23 November 2017 > Abstract > Aerosols are significant to the Earth’s climate, with nearly all atmospheric > aerosols containing organic compounds that often contain both hydrophilic and > hydrophobic parts. However, the nature of how these compounds are arranged > within an aerosol droplet remains unknown. Here we demonstrate that fatty > acids in proxies for atmospheric aerosols self-assemble into highly ordered > three-dimensional nanostructures that may have implications for > environmentally important processes. Acoustically trapped droplets of oleic > acid/sodium oleate mixtures in sodium chloride solution are analysed by > simultaneous synchrotron small-angle X-ray scattering and Raman spectroscopy > in a controlled gas-phase environment. We demonstrate that the droplets > contained crystal-like lyotropic phases including hexagonal and cubic > close-packed arrangements of spherical and cylindrical micelles, and stacks > of bilayers, whose structures responded to atmospherically relevant humidity > changes and chemical reactions. Further experiments show that self-assembly > reduces the rate of the reaction of the fatty acid with ozone, and that > lyotropic-phase formation also occurs in more complex mixtures more closely > resembling compositions of atmospheric aerosols. We suggest that > lyotropic-phase formation likely occurs in the atmosphere, with potential > implications for radiative forcing, residence times and other aerosol > characteristics. > > > https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-017-01918-1 > > On 23 Nov 2017 12:31, "Andrew Lockley" <[email protected]> wrote: > Poster's note : this is really interesting, but I can't find the paper. Hope > someone can post it. > > Deep fat fryers may help form cooling clouds - > http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-42081892 > > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "geoengineering" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to [email protected]. > To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. > Visit this group at https://groups.google.com/group/geoengineering. > For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "geoengineering" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. Visit this group at https://groups.google.com/group/geoengineering. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
