Chemical Characterization of Aerosols: On‐Line and In Situ

Whereas aerosols were formerly considered to be important in meteorological processes but in little else, today they play a significant role not only in environmental protection but also in “new technologies” such as the formation of high performance ceramics, sinter metals, optical waveguides, and superconductors. Analytical procedures which are capable of a continuous qualitative and quantitative description of processes in which aerosols are formed are, however, still almost unknown. The present review will discuss initial developments (which will often appear exotic in nature) such as the use of the condensation properties of ultrafine particles or time‐resolved laser‐induced aerosol fluorescence spectroscopy. The progress of analytical chemistry in the last few years makes it clear that advances in miniaturization, data processing, and optronics will probably be capable of solving many problems which are presently regarded as unsolvable.