Kinetics of the gas‐phase reactions of hydroxyl radicals with C1–C6 aliphatic alcohols in the presence of ammonium sulfate aerosols

Abstract

AbstractThe effects of ammonium sulfate aerosols on the kinetics of the hydroxyl radical reactions with C1–C6 aliphatic alcohols have been investigated using the relative rate technique. P‐xylene was used as a reference compound for the C2–C6 aliphatic alcohols study, and ethanol was used as a reference compound for the methanol study. Two different aerosol concentrations that are typical of polluted urban conditions were tested. The total surface areas of aerosols were 1400 μm2 cm−3 (condition I) and 3400 μm2 cm−3 (condition II). Results indicate that ammonium sulfate aerosols promote the ethanol/OH radical and 1‐propanol/OH radical reactions as compared to the p‐xylene/OH radical reaction. The relative rate of the ethanol/·OH reaction versus the p‐xylene/·OH reaction increased from 0.19 ± 0.01 in the absence of aerosols to 0.24 ± 0.01 and 0.26 ± 0.02 under aerosol conditions I and II, respectively. The relative rate of the 1‐propanol/·OH reaction versus the p‐xylene/·OH reaction increased from 0.45 ± 0.03 in the absence aerosols to 0.56 ± 0.02 and 0.55 ± 0.03 under aerosol conditions I and II, respectively. However, significant changes in the relative rates of the 1‐butanol/·OH, 1‐pentanol/·OH, and 1‐hexanol/·OH reactions versus the p‐xylene/·OH reaction were not observed for either aerosol concentration. The relative rates of the methanol/·OH reaction versus the ethanol/·OH reaction were identical in the absence and presence of aerosols. These results indicate that ammonium sulfate aerosols promote the methanol/·OH reaction as much as the ethanol/·OH reaction (as compared to the p‐xylene/·OH reaction). © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Int J Chem Kinet 33: 422–430, 2001