Surface tension and hygroscopicity analysis of aerosols containing organosulfate surfactants

Abstract. Organosulfate (OS) surfactants can influence cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) activation and hygroscopic growth by reducing the surface tension of aerosol particles. We investigate the surface tension and hygroscopicity of aerosols containing short- and long-chain OSs in supersaturated aqueous droplets using an electrodeformation method coupled with Raman spectroscopy. For droplets containing short-chain OSs, the surface tension decreases as relative humidity (RH) decreases, even under dry and highly viscous conditions. Sodium ethyl sulfate (SES) lowered surface tension to approximately 30 mN m−1, a value lower than that of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) at its critical micelle concentration. We also studied ternary systems containing OSs with citric acid (CA) or sodium chloride (NaCl). Even small amounts of SDS, with a molar ratio of 10−3 relative to CA, reduce surface tension by up to 40 % at low RH compared to CA alone. Despite strong surface tension reduction, ternary OS–CA–water systems show hygroscopicity nearly identical to binary CA–water systems, suggesting that surface tension does not influence water uptake under subsaturated conditions. Ternary systems containing NaCl and OS undergo efflorescence at 47 % RH, but the crystallized NaCl becomes partially engulfed. If the RH is subsequently increased, the particle takes up water. At the deliquescence point (72 % RH), the particle becomes homogeneous again. These findings improve our understanding of particle growth and cloud drop formation processes, which influence cloud properties like albedo and lifetime.