Objective:

To develop a rapid method for measuring submicrometer aerosol chemistry using a nanoelectromechanical infrared sensing workflow.

Key Findings:

• NEMS-FTIR can measure aerosol chemistry in minutes, significantly reducing collection times compared to traditional methods.
• Detection limits for organic functional groups range from 1.3 to 5.4 ng, three orders of magnitude lower than previous methods.
• Field tests demonstrated the ability to capture short-term changes in aerosol composition in various environments.

Interpretation:

The high sensitivity and rapid sampling capabilities of NEMS-FTIR allow for detailed analysis of aerosol composition over short timescales, which was previously challenging.

Limitations:

• Further validation is needed across a wider range of aerosol types and field conditions.
• The method's applicability in diverse environmental settings remains to be fully established.

Conclusion:

NEMS-FTIR represents a significant advancement in aerosol chemistry measurement, enabling high temporal resolution analysis and potential integration with existing methods.