Separative and mass spectrometric techniques in the diagnostics of soot precursors

Carbonaceous particulate matter formed in combustion systems can be operationally separated in two phases on the basis of its solubility in dichloromethane (DCM). The DCM soluble fraction, named soot extract, is a tarry phase composed of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and a higher molecular weight fraction whose composition and structure is still unknown. In this work separation techniques have been used in combination with mass spectrometry in order to clarify the structure of the larger soot extract fractions.