The Method, Hardware and Performance of the PTR3

The PTR3 is a specialized system dedicated to the highly sensitive detection of ultra low traces of volatile organic compounds and their oxidation products that enables monitoring reactions from the first oxidation steps up to highly-oxygenated organic molecules (HOMs) down to ppqV levels (Breitenlechner et al., 2017). The inlet system and the ionization chamber are especially designed to reduce surface interactions. This concept of contact free sampling allows for detecting organics of virtually all volatility classes ranging from volatile (VOC) to extremely low volatile (ELVOC). Recent results from the well-known CLOUD experiment very well illustrate the advantages of the PTR3 over a commonly used nitrate (NO3-) Chemical Ionization Mass Spectrometer (CIMS). Both instruments show a similar detection efficiency towards ELVOCs, but the PTR3 clearly excels the CIMS when it comes to the detection of less oxidized VOCs. https://www.ionicon.com/technologies/details/ptr3