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REACTIONS OF OXY RADICALS IN THE ATMOSPHERE
Citation:
Hendry, D., R. Kenely, J. Davenport, AND B. Lan. REACTIONS OF OXY RADICALS IN THE ATMOSPHERE. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, D.C., EPA/600/3-79/020 (NTIS PB294046), 1979.
Description:
Results are presented of a research program concerned with the study of selected reactions of importance in atmospheric chemistry. The decomposition of peroxyacetyl nitrate (PAN) was studied over the temperature range 25-39C. The rate constant was determined to be log k = 16.29 - 26,910/4.576 T. The reactions of acetylperoxy radicals with NO and NO2 were investigated. The ratio of the rate constants for these reactions was determined to be k(NO)/k(NO)2 = 3.0 + or - 0.7. The products of the reaction of OH with various aromatic compounds were also determined. The investigation showed that the reaction of OH with simple aromatic hydrocarbons proceeds by two major pathways, abstraction of a hydrogen atom in the benzylic position or addition of OH to the aromatic ring. Ratios of the rate of abstraction versus addition were determined for toluene, 1,4-dimethylbenzene and 1,3,5-trimethylbenzene. Results of a study to elucidate the products and mechanism of the reaction of OH with benzaldehyde are also presented. Research showed that this reaction proceeds exclusively by abstraction of the aldehydic hydrogen.