Morphological Evolution of Atmospheric Black Carbon Particles

Kexin Liu, Zhuofei Du, Xin Gong, Hongjun Mao, Jianfei Peng

Prog Chem ›› 2025, Vol. 37 ›› Issue (3) : 397-410.

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Prog Chem ›› 2025, Vol. 37 ›› Issue (3) : 397-410. DOI: 10.7536/PC240510
Review

Morphological Evolution of Atmospheric Black Carbon Particles

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Abstract

Black carbon (BC) particulate matter has significant light-absorbing capacity and is an important species contributing to haze pollution and global warming. However, quantitative studies of the light absorption capacity of black carbon (BC) have long been unable to reach a consensus affecting the accurate assessment of its environmental and climate effect. The morphological evolution of BC particles is the important factor affecting the light-absorbing capacity. However, the current literature review lacks a comprehensive summary of the characteristics and mechanisms involved in the evolution of BC micromorphology. This review summarizes the relevant studies on BC morphology evolution in recent years including the quantitative parameters of BC morphology, measurement and calculation methods of morphology parameters, the micromorphology evolution characteristics of BC during condensation process, phase separation process, coagulation process and evaporation process, and its evolution mechanism and main influencing factors. The evolution of the microphysical morphology of BC particles during different aging processes is the key to explaining the controversy over the light absorption of BC particles. However, there are still many uncertainties in the morphology evolution of BC core and the quantitative assessment of light absorption of complex-structured BC particles in these processes. Therefore, tracking the actual atmospheric BC morphology evolution, further investigating the effect of morphology evolution mechanism on the BC core collapse, and improving the models of BC light absorption and radiation will be the key research direction in the future.

Contents

1 Introduction

2 Quantitative characterization parameters and related measurement instruments for morphology of BC particles

2.1 Quantitative characterization parameters for morphology of BC particles

2.2 Related measurement instruments for morphology of BC particles

3 Morphological evolution characteristics and absorption effect of BC particles during different aging processes

3.1 Condensation process

3.2 Phase separation process

3.3 Coagulation process

3.4 Evaporation process

4 Conclusion and prospect

Key words

black carbon particulate matter / morphology evolution / aging processes / light absorption ability / impact factors

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Kexin Liu , Zhuofei Du , Xin Gong , et al . Morphological Evolution of Atmospheric Black Carbon Particles[J]. Progress in Chemistry. 2025, 37(3): 397-410 https://doi.org/10.7536/PC240510

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Funding

National Natural Science Foundation of China(42107125)
National Natural Science Foundation of China(72104132)
Youth Foundation of MOE (Ministry of Education in China) Liberal arts and Social Sciences(21YJCZH136)
Shanxi Province Basic Research Program Foundation(20210302124201)

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