Portraits of Soot Molecules Reveal Pathways to Large Aromatics, Five-/Seven-Membered Rings, and Inception through π-Radical Localization.

Incipient soot early in the flame was studied by high-resolution atomic force microscopy and scanning tunneling microscopy to resolve the atomic structure and orbital densities of single soot molecules prepared on bilayer NaCl on Cu(111). We resolved extended catacondensed and pentagonal-ring linked (pentalinked) species indicating how small aromatics cross-link and cyclodehydrogenate to form moderately sized aromatics. In addition, we resolved embedded pentagonal and heptagonal rings in flame aromatics.

Resistive Switching Phenomenon Observed in Self-Assembled Films of Flame-Formed Carbon-TiO Nanoparticles.

Nanostructured films of carbon and TiO nanoparticles have been produced by means of a simple two-step procedure based on flame synthesis and thermophoretic deposition. At first, a granular carbon film is produced on silicon substrates by the self-assembling of thermophoretically sampled carbon nanoparticles (CNPs) with diameters of the order of 15 nm. Then, the composite film is obtained by the subsequent thermophoretic deposition of smaller TiO nanoparticles (diameters of the order of 2.

Nano-TiO Coating Layers with Improved Anticorrosive Properties by Aerosol Flame Synthesis and Thermophoretic Deposition on Aluminium Surfaces.

TiO in the form of nanoparticles is characterized by high photocatalytic activity and high resistance to oxidation, making it an excellent candidate to realize coatings for improving the corrosion resistance of aluminium surfaces. Different coating technologies have been proposed over the years, which often involve the use of toxic compounds and very high temperatures. In this work, an alternative and novel one-step method for the coating of aluminium alloy surfaces with titania nanoparticles is presented.

Molecular content of nascent soot: Family characterization using two-step laser desorption laser ionization mass spectrometry.

Molecules constituting nascent soot particles have been analyzed by two-step laser desorption laser ionization mass spectrometry. Three samples have been collected from a slightly sooting ethylene/air premixed flame with the aim to investigate soot composition in the transition from nucleated to just-grown soot particles. Sampling locations have been selected based on the evolution of the particle size distribution along the flame axis.

Evidence on the formation of dimers of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in a laminar diffusion flame.

The role of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the formation of nascent soot particles in flames is well established and yet the detailed mechanisms are still not fully understood. Here we provide experimental evidence of the occurrence of dimerization of PAHs in the gas phase before soot formation in a laminar diffusion methane flame, supporting the hypothesis of stabilization of dimers through the formation of covalent bonds. The main findings of this work derive from the comparative chemical analysis of samples extracted from the gas to soot transition region of a laminar diffusion methane flame, and highlight two different groups of hydrocarbons that coexist in the same mass range, but show distinctly different behavior when processed with statistical analysis.

Flame-formed carbon nanoparticles exhibit quantum dot behaviors.

We examine the quantum confinement in the photoemission ionization energy in air and optical band gap of carbon nanoparticles (CNPs). Premixed, stretched-stabilized ethylene flames are used to generate the CNPs reproducibly over the range of 4-23 nm in volume median diameter. The results reveal that flame-formed CNPs behave like an indirect band gap material, and that the existence of the optical band gap is attributed to the highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO)-lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) gap in the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons comprising the CNPs.

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease-Derived Circulating Cells Release IL-18 and IL-33 under Ultrafine Particulate Matter Exposure in a Caspase-1/8-Independent Manner.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is considered the fourth-leading causes of death worldwide; COPD is caused by inhalation of noxious indoor and outdoor particles, especially cigarette smoke that represents the first risk factor for this respiratory disorder. To mimic the effects of particulate matter on COPD, we isolated peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and treated them with combustion-generated ultrafine particles (UFPs) obtained from two different fuel mixtures, namely, pure ethylene and a mixture of ethylene and dimethylfuran (the latter mimicking the combustion of biofuels). UFPs were separated in two fractions: (1) sub-10 nm particles, named nano organic carbon (NOC) particles and (2) primarily soot particles of 20-40 nm and their agglomerates (200 nm).

Characterization of combustion-generated carbonaceous nanoparticles by size-dependent ultraviolet laser photoionization.

Photoelectric charging of particles is a powerful tool for online characterization of submicrometer aerosol particles. Indeed photoionization based techniques have high sensitivity and chemical selectivity. Moreover, they yield information on electronic properties of the material and are sensitive to the state of the surface.

Apoptotic and proinflammatory effect of combustion-generated organic nanoparticles in endothelial cells.

Air pollution exposure in industrialized cities is associated with an increased risk of morbidity and mortality attributed to cardiovascular diseases. Combustion exhausts emitted from motor vehicles and industries represent a major source of nanoparticles in the atmosphere. Flame-generated organic carbon nanoparticles (OC NPs) provide interesting model nanoparticles that simulate fresh combustion emissions near roadways or combustion sources.

On the characterization of nanoparticles emitted from combustion sources related to understanding their effects on health and climate.

This work describes the use of well-controlled laboratory flames to produce aerosols of organic carbon (OC) as model particles representative of the OC fraction of combustion-generated particulate matter emissions in fresh exhausts. Water-particle interactions are explored in two specific cases. In the first case, particles are exposed to saturated environments and come into direct contact with liquid water by bubbling flame samples through a column of water.

Interaction between combustion-generated organic nanoparticles and biological systems: in vitro study of cell toxicity and apoptosis in human keratinocytes.

The purpose of this work was to evaluate the effect of flame-generated nucleation mode particles with an organic carbon structure on growth and apoptosis in immortalized human keratinocytes. In this study, cells were stimulated with nanoparticles collected from flames that produce only nucleation mode particles operating with a fuel:air mixture typical of low-emission combustion systems. Cytotoxicity as a function of particle concentration was monitored by fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) analysis, and apoptosis was observed by FACS using DNA fragmentation and hypodiploidism and confirmed by annexin assay.

Detection of fluorescent nanoparticles in flame with femtosecond laser-induced fluorescence anisotropy.

The mean size of fluorescent nanoparticles produced in a propane flame has been measured with an in-situ technique employing a femtosecond laser to excite the sample and a streak camera for time-resolved detection of the fluorescence. The time profile of the fluorescence anisotropy showed a Gaussian behaviour, typical of free rotor reorientation. By measuring its width, we estimated an average carbon particle diameter of 3.

Measurements of nanoparticles of organic carbon and soot in flames and vehicle exhausts.

We measured the size distribution and UV extinction spectra of carbonaceous nanoparticles present in the size range of 1-100 nm in the exhausts of 2004 model gasoline and diesel powered vehicles and compared the results with those obtained in premixed flames. In addition to soot particles, nanoparticles of organic carbon (NOC) were measured in the emissions of these test vehicles in significant number and mass concentrations. The number and mass concentration of NOC was higher than soot in gasoline vehicle emissions.

Time resolved fluorescence polarization anisotropy of carbonaceous particles produced in combustion systems.

The size of nanometric carbonaceous particles produced in various combustion systems is determined by means of time resolved fluorescence polarization anisotropy (TRFPA). We also compare the performances of two different experimental implementations of thetechnique, which are complementary in terms of cost, simplicity and resolution. Both methods are first employed on standard molecules to demonstrate the reliability of the results.