Reactions Of Peroxy Radicals Research Articles

Pressure-dependent rate rules for cycloaddition, intramolecular H-shift, and concerted elimination reactions of alkenyl peroxy radicals at low temperature.

The reactions of cycloaddition, intramolecular H-shift and concerted elimination of alkenyl peroxy radicals are three kinds of important reactions in the low temperature combustion of alkenes. In this study, the cycloaddition reactions are divided into classes considering endo-cycloaddition, exo-cycloaddition and the size of the transition states; the intramolecular H-shift reactions are divided into classes depending upon the ring size of the transition states and the type of C-H bonds from which the hydrogen atom is transferred; the concerted elimination reactions are divided into classes according to the type of H-CβCαOO bond that is broken. All geometry optimizations are performed at the B3LYP/6-31G(2df,p) level. With the electronic structure calculations being performed using the composite Gaussian-4 (G4) method, high pressure limit rate constants and pressure-dependent rate constants at pressures varying from 0.01 to 100 atm are calculated by using canonical transition state theory and the Rice-Ramsberger-Kassel-Marcus/master equation method, respectively. All rate constants are given in the form of the modified Arrhenius expression. The high pressure limit rate rules and the pressure-dependent rate rules are derived by averaging the rate constants of a representative set of reactions in each class. The results show that the rate rules for these three classes of reactions have a large uncertainty and the impact of the pressure on the rate constants increases as temperature increases.

Mechanistic study of the reaction of methyl peroxy radical (CH3O2) with formaldehyde (CH2O)

ABSTRACTA direct dynamic study on the reactions of CH3O2 + CH2O was carried out over the temperature range of 300–1500 K. All stationary points were calculated with the M06-2X/6-311++G(d,p) level of theory and identified for local minimum. The energetic parameters were refined at QCISD (T)/cc-pVTZ and CCSD (T)/cc-pVTZ levels of theory. Three channels were explored and a reaction of hydrogen abstraction from CH2O by CH3O2 was identified as dominant channel which involves the formation of a prereactive complex in the entrance channel. The rate coefficient of the dominant channel was calculated with TST and TST/Eck and the Eckart tunnelling effect is only important over the lower temperature region. The calculated rate coefficient of the dominant channel has positive temperature dependence and agrees reasonably with the available literature data.

Oxidation processes in the eastern Mediterranean atmosphere: evidence from the modelling of HO<sub><i>x</i></sub> measurements over Cyprus

Abstract. The Mediterranean is a climatically sensitive region located at the crossroads of air masses from three continents: Europe, Africa, and Asia. The chemical processing of air masses over this region has implications not only for the air quality but also for the long-range transport of air pollution. To obtain a comprehensive understanding of oxidation processes over the Mediterranean, atmospheric concentrations of the hydroxyl radical (OH) and the hydroperoxyl radical (HO2) were measured during an intensive field campaign (CYprus PHotochemistry EXperiment, CYPHEX-2014) in the northwest of Cyprus in the summer of 2014. Very low local anthropogenic and biogenic emissions around the measurement location provided a vantage point to study the contrasts in atmospheric oxidation pathways under highly processed marine air masses and those influenced by relatively fresh emissions from mainland Europe.The CYPHEX measurements were used to evaluate OH and HO2 simulations using a photochemical box model (CAABA/MECCA) constrained with CYPHEX observations of O3, CO, NOx, hydrocarbons, peroxides, and other major HOx (OH + HO2) sources and sinks in a low-NOx environment (< 100 pptv of NO). The model simulations for OH agreed to within 10 % with in situ OH observations. Model simulations for HO2 agreed to within 17 % of the in situ observations. However, the model strongly under-predicted HO2 at high terpene concentrations, this under-prediction reaching up to 38 % at the highest terpene levels. Different schemes to improve the agreement between observed and modelled HO2, including changing the rate coefficients for the reactions of terpene-generated peroxy radicals (RO2) with NO and HO2 as well as the autoxidation of terpene-generated RO2 species, are explored in this work. The main source of OH in Cyprus was its primary production from O3 photolysis during the day and HONO photolysis during early morning. Recycling contributed about one-third of the total OH production, and the maximum recycling efficiency was about 0.7. CO, which was the largest OH sink, was also the largest HO2 source. The lowest HOx production and losses occurred when the air masses had higher residence time over the oceans.

Experimental and theoretical investigation of the reaction of RO2 radicals with OH radicals: Dependence of the HO2 yield on the size of the alkyl group

AbstractThe HO2 yield in the reaction of peroxy radicals with OH radicals has been determined experimentally at 50 Torr helium by measuring simultaneously OH and HO2 concentration time profiles, following the photolysis of XeF2 in the presence of different hydrocarbons and O2. The following yields have been obtained: = (0.90 ± 0.1), = (0.75 ± 0.15), = (0.41 ± 0.08), and = (0.15 ± 0.03). The clear decrease in HO2 yield with increasing size of the alkyl moiety can be explained by an increased stabilization of the trioxide adduct, ROOOH. This has been confirmed by ab initio and Rice–Ramsperger–Kassel–Marcus master equation calculations. Extrapolation of the experimental results to atmospheric conditions shows that the stabilized adduct, ROOOH, is the nearly exclusive product of the reaction between OH radicals and peroxy radicals containing more than three C‐atoms. The fate and possible impact of these species is completely unexplored so far.

Global modelling of the total OH reactivity: investigations on the “missing” OH sink and its atmospheric implications

Abstract. The hydroxyl radical (OH) plays a crucial role in the chemistry of the atmosphere as it initiates the removal of most trace gases. A number of field campaigns have observed the presence of a missing OH sink in a variety of regions across the planet. A comparison of direct measurements of the OH loss frequency, also known as total OH reactivity (kOH), with the sum of individual known OH sinks (obtained via the simultaneous detection of species such as volatile organic compounds and nitrogen oxides) indicates that, in some cases, up to 80 % of kOH is unaccounted for. In this work, the UM-UKCA chemistry-climate model was used to investigate the wider implications of the missing reactivity on the oxidising capacity of the atmosphere. Simulations of the present-day atmosphere were performed and the model was evaluated against an array of field measurements to verify that the known OH sinks were reproduced well, with a resulting good agreement found for most species. Following this, an additional sink was introduced to simulate the missing OH reactivity as an emission of a hypothetical molecule, X, which undergoes rapid reaction with OH. The magnitude and spatial distribution of this sink were underpinned by observations of the missing reactivity. Model runs showed that the missing reactivity accounted for on average 6 % of the total OH loss flux at the surface and up to 50 % in regions where emissions of the additional sink were high. The lifetime of the hydroxyl radical was reduced by 3 % in the boundary layer, whilst tropospheric methane lifetime increased by 2 % when the additional OH sink was included. As no OH recycling was introduced following the initial oxidation of X, these results can be interpreted as an upper limit of the effects of the missing reactivity on the oxidising capacity of the troposphere. The UM-UKCA simulations also allowed us to establish the atmospheric implications of the newly characterised reactions of peroxy radicals (RO2) with OH. Whilst the effects of this chemistry on kOH were minor, the reaction of the simplest peroxy radical, CH3O2, with OH was found to be a major sink for CH3O2 and source of HO2 over remote regions at the surface and in the free troposphere. Inclusion of this reaction in the model increased tropospheric methane lifetime by up to 3 %, depending on its product branching. Simulations based on the latest kinetic and product information showed that this reaction cannot reconcile models with observations of atmospheric methanol, in contrast to recent suggestions.

Mechanistic Study of the Reactions of Methyl Peroxy Radical with Methanol or Hydroxyl Methyl Radical.

An ab initio and direct dynamic study of the reactions of CH3O2 + CH3OH and CH3O2 + CH2OH has been carried out over the temperature range of 300-1500 K. All stationary points were calculated at the MP2/aug-cc-pVTZ level of theory for CH3O2 + CH3OH or at the M06-2X/MG3S level of theory for CH3O2 + CH2OH and identified for the local minimum. The energetic parameters were refined at the QCISD(T)/cc-pVTZ and CCSD(T)/aug-cc-pVTZ levels of theory. For the reaction of CH3OO + CH3OH, two hydrogen abstraction channels producing CH3OOH + CH2OH (R1) and CH3OOH + CH3O (R2) were confirmed. These two channels consist of the same reversible first step involving the formation of a prereactive complex in the entrance channel. The rate constants of these two channels have been calculated by canonical transition station theory (TST) and canonical variational transition station theory (VTST) with Eckart tunneling correction and compared with the available literature data. The positive temperature dependence of the rate constants was observed. The tunneling effect is important at low temperature and decreases with an increase of the temperature. The contribution of R1 to the total rate constant is dominant, with branching ratios of 0.93 at 500 K and 0.67 at 1000 K, although the branching ratio for R2 increases dramatically with the increase of the temperature from 500 K. For the reaction of CH3OO + CH2OH, eight channels were explored on the lowest singlet and triplet surfaces, and an excited intermediate was found to be formed on the singlet surface. A channel proceeding through the formation of an excited intermediate followed by its impulsive dissociation was confirmed as the dominant channels with a branching ratio more than 0.99 in the temperature range of 300-1500 K, where products of CH3O and OCH2OH were given. The rate constant of the dominant channel calculated by multichannel RRKM-VTST is comparable with the available literature data.

The relevance of reactions of the methyl peroxy radical (CH3O2) and methylhypochlorite (CH3OCl) for Antarctic chlorine activation and ozone loss

The maintenance of large concentrations of active chlorine in Antarctic spring allows strong chemical ozone destruction to occur. In the lower stratosphere (approximately 16–18 km, 85–55 hPa, 390–430 K) in the core of the polar vortex, high levels of active chlorine are maintained, although rapid gas-phase production of HCl occurs. The maintenance is achieved through HCl null cycles in which the HCl production is balanced by immediate reactivation. The chemistry of the methyl peroxy radical (CH3O2) is essential for these HCl null cycles and thus for Antarctic chlorine and ozone loss chemistry in the lower stratosphere in the core of the polar vortex. The key reaction here is the reaction ; this reaction should not be neglected in simulations of polar ozone loss. Here we investigate the full chemistry of CH3O2 in box-model simulations representative for the conditions in the core of the polar vortex in the lower stratosphere. These simulations include the reaction CH3O2 + Cl, the product methylhypochlorite (CH3OCl) of the reaction CH3O2 + ClO, and the subsequent chemical decomposition of CH3OCl. We find that when the formation of CH3OCl is taken into account, it is important that also the main loss channels for CH3OCl, namely photolysis and reaction with Cl are considered. Provided that this is the case, there is only a moderate impact of the formation of CH3OCl in the reaction CH3O2 + ClO on polar chlorine chemistry in our simulations. Simulated peak mixing ratios of CH3OCl ( ppb) occur at the time of the lowest ozone mixing ratios. Further, our model simulations indicate that the reaction CH3O2 + Cl does not have a strong impact on polar chlorine chemistry. During the period of the lowest ozone concentrations in late September, enhanced values of CH3O2 are simulated and, as a consequence, also enhanced values of formaldehyde (about 100 ppt) and methanol (about 5 ppt).

Reaction mechanism and kinetics of the degradation of terbacil initiated by OH radical – A theoretical study

The reaction of terbacil with OH radical is studied by using electronic structure calculations. The reaction of terbacil with OH radical is found to proceed by H-atom abstraction, Cl-atom abstraction and OH addition reactions. The initially formed alkyl radical will undergo atmospheric transformation in the presence of molecular oxygen leading to the formation of peroxy radical. The reaction of peroxy radical with other atmospheric oxidants, such as HO2 and NO radicals is studied. The rate constant is calculated for the H-atom abstraction reactions over the temperature range of 200–1000 K. The results obtained from electronic structure calculations and kinetic study show that the H-atom abstraction reaction is more favorable. The calculated lifetime of terbacil is 24 h in normal atmospheric OH concentration. The rate constant calculated for H-atom abstraction reactions is 6 × 10−12, 4.4 × 10−12 and 3.2 × 10−12 cm3molecule−1s−1, respectively which is in agreement with the previous literature value of 1.9 × 10−12 cm3molecule−1s−1.

A theoretical investigation on the mechanism and kinetics of the gas-phase reaction of naphthalene with OH radical

The oxidation of naphthalene initiated by OH radical is studied by using density functional theory methods, M06-2X, ωB97XD and MPWB1K with 6-311G(d,p) basis set. The relative energy of the reactive species is also calculated at CCSD(T)/6-311G(d,p), CCSD(T)/cc-pVDZ, M06-2X/aug-cc-pVTZ and ωB97XD/aug-cc-pVTZ level of theories with the geometry optimized at M06-2X/6-311G(d,p) level of theory. The reactions were found to proceed via electrophilic addition of OH radical to the aromatic ring of naphthalene and H-atom abstraction from the aromatic ring of naphthalene by OH radical. The OH addition and H-atom abstraction reactions are occurring favorably at C1 position of naphthalene. The H-atom abstraction is dominant than OH addition reaction at high temperature (400–873 K). The reactions subsequent to the initial OH radical addition and H-atom abstraction reactions are studied in detail. The reaction of the initially formed intermediates with O2 results in the formation of peroxy radical and 1-naphthol. The isomerization of peroxy radical and reaction of peroxy radical with HO2, NO and NO2 leads to the formation of epoxynaphthalene, hydroperoxide adducts and nitro naphthalene. We have calculated the rate constant for favorable initial and secondary reactions. This study provides thermochemical and kinetic data for the atmospheric oxidation of naphthalene by OH radical and demonstrates the secondary reactions of naphthalene derivatives.

Kinetic barriers, rate constants and branching ratios for unimolecular reactions of methyl octanoate peroxy radicals: A computational study of a mid-sized biodiesel fuel surrogate

Towards the goal of establishing kinetic database for low-temperature combustion (T < 1000K) of mid-sized biodiesel surrogates, the study uses quantum chemistry and statistical kinetic methods to investigate three primary unimolecular reaction pathways of methyl octanoate peroxy radicals, including dissociation, isomerization and concerted elimination. We calculate kinetic barriers and pressure-dependent rate constants at 500–1000K. The comparison between our computed and previously estimated rate constants offers further insight into how transition state structures and molecular mechanics are correlated with reaction kinetics. In the branching ratio analysis, we investigate the proposed unimolecular reactions and factors affecting these kinetic characteristics. For the first time, the previously measured oxidation rates of methyl octanoate under the cool flame regime (560–1000K) are computationally verified by kinetic modeling that reflects the contribution of the present submodel to an existing detailed mechanism of methyl octanoate. Consequently, the rate-of-production analysis reveals the significance of newly proposed reaction pathways.

Mechanism and Kinetics of the Reaction of Nitrosamines with OH Radical: A Theoretical Study

The reaction of nitrosodimethylamine, nitrosoazetidine, nitrosopyrrolidine, and nitrosopiperidine with the hydroxyl radical has been studied using electronic structure calculations in gas and aqueous phases. The rate constant was calculated using variational transition state theory. The reactions are initiated by H-atom abstraction from the αC─H group of nitrosamines and leads to the formation of alkyl radical intermediate. In the subsequent reactions, the initially formed alkyl radical intermediate reacts with O2 forming a peroxy radical. The reaction of peroxy radical with other atmospheric oxidants, such as HO2 and NO radicals, is studied. The structures of the reactive species were optimized by using the density functional theory methods, such as M06-2X, MPW1K, and BHandHLYP, and hybrid methods G3B3. The single-point energy calculations were also performed at CCSD(T)/6-311+G(d,p)// M062X/6-311+G(d,p) level. The calculated thermodynamical parameters show that the reactions corresponding to the formation of intermediates and products are highly exothermic. We have calculated the rate constant for the initial H-atom abstraction and subsequent favorable secondary reactions using canonical variational transition state theory over the temperature range of 150–400 K. The calculated rate constant for initial H-atom abstraction reaction is ∼3 × 10−12 cm3 molecule−1 s−1 and is in agreement with the previous experimental results. The calculated thermochemical data and rate constants show that the reaction profile and kinetics of the reactions are less dependent on the number of methyl groups present in the nitrosoamines. Furthermore, it has been found that the atmospheric lifetime of nitrosamines is around 5 days in the normal atmospheric OH concentration.

Global Budget and Distribution of Peroxyacetyl Nitrate (PAN) for Present and Preindustrial Scenarios

A global 3-D chemistry and transport model, STOCHEM integrated with a detailed VOC oxidation scheme (CRI v2-R5) has been employed to study the important NOx reservoir compound, peroxyacetyl nitrate (PAN). Globally, PAN is produced entirely by the reaction of acetyl peroxy radicals (CH3CO3) with NO2 and up to 2.0 ppb of PAN is found over the polluted regions of North America during June- July-August for the present scenario. The imbalances between model and measurement data are noted, with STOCHEM-CRI overestimating PAN mixing ratios relative to the measurement data by +17 and +80 pptv for the lower and upper troposphere, respectively. The inclusion of additional HOx recycling mechanisms (e.g. related to isoprene oxidation) in STOCHEM-CRI causes a decrease in PAN in a present scenario by as much as 40% over sink regions and reduces the model-measurement disagreement by 90% for the lower troposphere and 40% for the upper troposphere. The lower NOx emissions and CH3CO3 formation upon including HOx recycling in a preindustrial scenario led to a decrease in PAN formation by as much as 40%. The decrease in PAN formation results in less nitrogen being transported to remote regions which in turn leads to the greatest percentage change in O3 concentration (9% decrease) in the equatorial regions.

Atmospheric fate of diketones and OH radical–kinetics, reaction force, ETS-NOCV analysis

ABSTRACTIn this work, we have focused on the atmospheric reaction chemistry of two α-diketones 2,3-Pentanedione (2,3-PTD) and 2,3-hexanedione (2,3-HEX) with OH radical. The full reaction pathway was studied theoretically under H-atom abstraction reaction using density functional theory and wave-function-based MP2 calculations. Single-point energy calculations were performed at CCSD(T) level of theory with 6–31+G(d,p) basis set. The H-atom abstraction from –CH2 group is the most dominant channel in both 2,3-PTD and 2,3-HEX with OH radical. The fate of secondary reactions of peroxy and alkoxy radical is studied in detail. The reaction force analysis shows that abstraction process is dominated by structural rearrangement than electronic reordering. The ETS-NOCV-based reaction scheme is studied in order to find out the pair wise interaction energy of the chemical bonding. The ETS-NOCV method for all the transition states shows π-bonding nature for the bond breaking (C–H) and bond formation (O–H) due to the presence of hydrogen bond. The theoretical rate constant value matches well with the experimental rate constant value for both α-diketones. Normal linear Arrhenius behaviour for all the pathways is found in the range of 278–350 K. The short atmospheric lifetime indicates the removal process of diketones with OH radical.

An estimate of the global budget and distribution of ethanol using a global 3-D atmospheric chemistry transport model STOCHEM-CRI

The atmospheric global budget and distribution of ethanol have been investigated using a global 3-dimensional chemistry transport model, STOCHEM-CRI. Ethanol, a precursor to acetaldehyde and peroxyacetyl nitrate (PAN), is found throughout the troposphere with a global burden of 0.024–0.25 Tg. The atmospheric lifetime of ethanol is found to be 1.1–2.8 days, which is in excellent agreement with estimates established by previous studies. The main global source of ethanol is from direct emission (99%) and the remainder (1%) being produced via peroxy radical reactions. In terms of removal rates of ethanol in the atmosphere, oxidation by hydroxyl radicals (OH) accounted for 51%, dry deposition 8% and wet deposition accounted for 41%. Globally there are significant concentrations of ethanol over equatorial Africa, North America and parts of Asia with considerably higher concentrations modelled over Saudi Arabia and Eastern Canada. Through comparison of measured and modelled ethanol data, it is apparent that the underestimation of the source strength of ethanol and the coarse resolution of the STOCHEM-CRI model produce the discrepancies between the model and the measured data mostly in urban areas. The increased vegetation and anthropogenic emissions of ethanol lead to an increase in the production of acetaldehyde (by up to 90%) and peroxyacetyl nitrate (by up to 10%) which disrupts the NOx-ozone balance, promoting ozone production (by up to 1.4%) in the equatorial regions.

The reaction of methyl peroxy and hydroxyl radicals as a major source of atmospheric methanol.

Methyl peroxy, a key radical in tropospheric chemistry, was recently shown to react with the hydroxyl radical at an unexpectedly high rate. Here, the molecular reaction mechanisms are elucidated using high-level quantum chemical methodologies and statistical rate theory. Formation of activated methylhydrotrioxide, followed by dissociation into methoxy and hydroperoxy radicals, is found to be the main reaction pathway, whereas methylhydrotrioxide stabilization and methanol formation (from activated and stabilized methylhydrotrioxide) are viable minor channels. Criegee intermediate formation is found to be negligible. Given the theoretical uncertainties, useful constraints on the yields are provided by atmospheric methanol measurements. Using a global chemistry-transport model, we show that the only explanation for the high observed methanol abundances over remote oceans is the title reaction with an overall methanol yield of ∼30%, consistent with the theoretical estimates given their uncertainties. This makes the title reaction a major methanol source (115 Tg per year), comparable to global terrestrial emissions.

Photochemical organonitrate formation in wet aerosols

Abstract. Water is the most abundant component of atmospheric fine aerosol. However, despite rapid progress, multiphase chemistry involving wet aerosols is still poorly understood. In this work, we report results from smog chamber photooxidation of glyoxal- and OH-containing ammonium sulfate or sulfuric acid particles in the presence of NOx and O3 at high and low relative humidity. Particles were analyzed using ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled to quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q-TOF-MS). During the 3 h irradiation, OH oxidation products of glyoxal that are also produced in dilute aqueous solutions (e.g., oxalic acids and tartaric acids) were formed in both ammonium sulfate (AS) aerosols and sulfuric acid (SA) aerosols. However, the major products were organonitrogens (CHNO), organosulfates (CHOS), and organonitrogen sulfates (CHNOS). These were also the dominant products formed in the dark chamber, indicating non-radical formation. In the humid chamber (&gt; 70 % relative humidity, RH), two main products for both AS and SA aerosols were organonitrates, which appeared at m ∕ z− 147 and 226. They were formed in the aqueous phase via non-radical reactions of glyoxal and nitric acid, and their formation was enhanced by photochemistry because of the photochemical formation of nitric acid via reactions of peroxy radicals, NOx and OH during the irradiation.

Hydrogen shift reactions in four methyl-buten-ol (MBO) peroxy radicals and their impact on the atmosphere

We investigate the hydrogen shift (H-shift) reactions in the peroxy radicals derived from four different methyl-buten-ol (MBO) molecules; 2-methyl-3-buten-2-ol (MBO232), 2-methyl-3-buten-1-ol (MBO231), 3-Methyl-3-buten-2-ol (MBO332) and 3-methyl-3-buten-1-ol (MBO331), with quantum mechanical calculations. The rate constants of the 1,5 H-shift reactions in all four MBO peroxy radicals are greater than the rate constants of the 1,4 or 1,6 H-shift reactions. The rate constants for the 1,5 H-shift reaction from either a CH group or an OH group are approximately 1 s−1 and 10−3 s−1, respectively. The atmospheric impact of the MBO232 oxidation is investigated with the global chemical transport model (GEOS-Chem). The 1,4-CH and 1,5-OH H-shift reactions in the MBO232 peroxy radical play a minor role with a total yield of about 2%. The major atmospheric reactions of the MBO232 peroxy radical are the reactions with NO and HO2, with reaction yield of 85% and 13%, respectively.

Observational constraints on glyoxal production from isoprene oxidation and its contribution to organic aerosol over the Southeast United States.

We use a 0-D photochemical box model and a 3-D global chemistry-climate model, combined with observations from the NOAA Southeast Nexus (SENEX) aircraft campaign, to understand the sources and sinks of glyoxal over the Southeast United States. Box model simulations suggest a large difference in glyoxal production among three isoprene oxidation mechanisms (AM3ST, AM3B, and MCM v3.3.1). These mechanisms are then implemented into a 3-D global chemistry-climate model. Comparison with field observations shows that the average vertical profile of glyoxal is best reproduced by AM3ST with an effective reactive uptake coefficient γglyx of 2 × 10-3, and AM3B without heterogeneous loss of glyoxal. The two mechanisms lead to 0-0.8 μg m-3 secondary organic aerosol (SOA) from glyoxal in the boundary layer of the Southeast U.S. in summer. We consider this to be the lower limit for the contribution of glyoxal to SOA, as other sources of glyoxal other than isoprene are not included in our model. In addition, we find that AM3B shows better agreement on both formaldehyde and the correlation between glyoxal and formaldehyde (RGF = [GLYX]/[HCHO]), resulting from the suppression of δ-isoprene peroxy radicals (δ-ISOPO2). We also find that MCM v3.3.1 may underestimate glyoxal production from isoprene oxidation, in part due to an underestimated yield from the reaction of IEPOX peroxy radicals (IEPOXOO) with HO2. Our work highlights that the gas-phase production of glyoxal represents a large uncertainty in quantifying its contribution to SOA.

Kinetics of the Reaction of CH3O2 Radicals with OH Studied over the 292-526 K Temperature Range.

Reaction of methyl peroxy radicals with hydroxyl radicals, CH3O2 + OH → CH3O + HO2 (1a) and CH3O2 + OH → CH2OO + H2O (1b) was studied using pulsed laser photolysis coupled to transient UV-vis absorption spectroscopy over the 292-526 K temperature range and pressure 1 bar (bath gas He). Hydroxyl radicals were generated in the reaction of electronically excited oxygen atoms O((1)D), produced in the photolysis of N2O at 193.3 nm, with H2O. Methyl peroxy radicals were generated in the reaction of methyl radicals, CH3, produced in the photolysis of acetone at 193.3 nm, and subsequent reaction of CH3 with O2. Temporal profiles of OH were monitored via transient absorption of light from a DC discharge H2O/Ar low-pressure resonance lamp at ca. 308 nm. The absolute intensity of the photolysis light was determined by accurate in situ actinometry based on the ozone formation in the presence of molecular oxygen. The overall rate constant of the reaction is k1a+1b = (8.4 ± 1.7) × 10(-11)(T/298 K)(-0.81) cm(3) molecule(-1) s(-1) (292-526 K). The branching ratio of channel 1b at 298 K is less than 5%.

New insight into the spatiotemporal variability and source apportionments of C&amp;lt;sub&amp;gt;1&amp;lt;/sub&amp;gt;–C&amp;lt;sub&amp;gt;4&amp;lt;/sub&amp;gt; alkyl nitrates in Hong Kong

Abstract. C1–C4 alkyl nitrates (RONO2) were measured concurrently at a mountain site, Tai Mo Shan (TMS), and an urban site, Tsuen Wan (TW), at the base of the same mountain in Hong Kong from September to November 2010. Although the levels of parent hydrocarbons were much lower at TMS (p &lt; 0.05), similar alkyl nitrate levels were found at both sites regardless of the elevation difference, suggesting various source contributions of alkyl nitrates at the two sites. Prior to using a positive matrix factorization (PMF) model, the data at TW were divided into "meso" and "non-meso" scenarios for the investigation of source apportionments with the influence of mesoscale circulation and regional transport, respectively. Secondary formation was the prominent contributor of alkyl nitrates in the meso scenario (60 ± 2 %, 60.2 ± 1.2 pptv), followed by biomass burning and oceanic emissions, while biomass burning and secondary formation made comparable contributions to alkyl nitrates in the non-meso scenario, highlighting the strong emissions of biomass burning in the inland Pearl River delta (PRD) region. In contrast to TW, the alkyl nitrate levels measured at TMS mainly resulted from the photooxidation of the parent hydrocarbons at TW during mesoscale circulation, i.e., valley breezes, corresponding to 52–86 % of the alkyl nitrate levels at TMS. Furthermore, regional transport from the inland PRD region made significant contributions to the levels of alkyl nitrates (∼ 58–82 %) at TMS in the non-meso scenario, resulting in similar levels of alkyl nitrates observed at the two sites. The simulation of secondary formation pathways using a photochemical box model found that the reaction of alkyl peroxy radicals (RO2) with nitric oxide (NO) dominated the formation of RONO2 at both sites, and the formation of alkyl nitrates contributed negatively to O3 production, with average reduction rates of 4.1 and 4.7 pptv pptv−1 at TMS and TW, respectively.