It is hard to overstate the importance of oxygenated organic compounds in atmospheric chemistry. Oxygenated organic compounds are emitted into the atmosphere from natural and man-made sources, and they are formed in the atmosphere as oxidation products of all hydrocarbons present in the atmosphere. Oxygenated volatile organic compounds (OVOCs) are generally more reactive than the alkanes from which they are derived. OVOCs play an active role in the sequence of chemical reactions responsible for tropospheric ozone formation in both polluted and remote environments.