Atmospheric fate of formyl chloride and mechanisms of the gas-phase reactions with OH radicals and Cl atoms

Abstract

Formyl chloride (HCOCl) is a major product in the atmospheric degradation of several chlorinated hydrocarbons, but its atmospheric fate is not well known. Here, the kinetics of HCOCl with OH radicals and Cl atoms were studied over the temperature range of 180 to 400 K using Canonical Variational Transition state theory including Small Curvature Tunneling correction (CVT/SCT). The obtained temperature-dependent rate coefficients for the reactions of HCOCl with OH and Cl are (1.86 ± 0.7) × 10−11 exp[(−1217 ± 19)/T] cm3molecule−1s−1 and (9.87 ± 0.6) × 10−12 exp[(−747 ± 33)/T] cm3molecule−1s−1, respectively. Reaction mechanisms and thermodynamic parameters for the title reactions were studied, and the atmospheric lifetime of HCOCl was determined.