Synthesis and Separation of meso-erythritol Oligomers as Isoprene-Derived Secondary Organic Aerosol Surrogates

Isoprene-derived secondary organic aerosols are produced en masse in regions with high density of deciduous flora. These compounds produce fine aerosol particles that have been suggested to pose significant cardiovascular health risk. Oligomers comprised of C5 units contribute significantly to aerosol content. To date, there is no available standard for quantitation of these compounds, which can make up over 40% of the fine organic aerosol mass during seasonal fluctuations. Structural cognates have been synthesized to remediate this obstacle, with substantial efforts to isolate and purify these compounds to be used as standards for estimating the oligomeric content in atmospheric field samples. With isolated compounds, molecular characterization via 1H and 13C NMR can be performed, to confirm the identity of these compounds. Availability of these compounds as standards would open new opportunities for studies to quantify the flux of these atmospheric particles, as well as to further elucidate cellular responses to exposure.Bachelor of Scienc