Photoenhancement of the nitrous acid formation in the surface reaction of nitrogen dioxide and water vapor: Extra radical source in smog chamber experiments

The surface reaction of NO₂ and H₂O vapor to emit HONO into the gas phase was studied in the evacuable and bakeable photochemical chamber under the irradiation of UV-visible light (? 290 nm). Kinetic analysis of the NO, NO₂, and HONO with the aid of computer modeling strongly suggested that the formation of HONO by the surface reaction is photoenhanced. When a linear regression was assumed, the photoenhancement factor defined by {(k′₂₁/k₂₁) ? 1} was expressed as (6.8 ± 2.5)k₁ under our experimental conditions, where k₁ is the primary photolysis rate of NO₂, and k₂₁, k′₂₁ are the second-order-equivalent rate constants of the HONO formation reaction in dark and under irradiation, respectively. The discussion was made that this photocatalitic enhancement of HONO formation would explain the nature of the extra OH radical flux in the smog chamber experiments, which has been discussed as “unknown radical source” and has still been unexplained by the surface dark reaction of NO₂ and H₂O to emit HONO.     

An evaluation of the mechanism of nitrous acid formation in the urban atmosphere

Nitrous acid (HONO) has been observed to build in the atmosphere of cities during the nighttime hours and it is suspected that photolysis of HONO may be a significant source of HO radicals early in the day. The sources of HONO are poorly understood, making it difficult to account for nighttime HONO formation in photochemical modeling studies of urban atmospheres, such as modeling of urban O₃ formation. This paper reviews the available information on measurements of HONO in the atmosphere and suggest mechanisms of HONO formation. The most extensive atmospheric measurement databases are used to investigate the relations between HONO and potential precursors. Based on these analyses, the nighttime HONO concentrations are found to correlate best with the product of NO, NO₂ and H₂O concentrations, or possibly the NO, NO₂, H₂O, and aerosol concentrations. A new mechanism for nighttime HONO formation is proposed that is consistent with this precursor relationship, namely, reaction of N₂O₃ with moist aerosols (or other surfaces) to form two HONO molecules. Theoretical considerations of the equilibrium constant for N₂O₃ formation and the theory of gas-particle reactions show that the proposed reaction is a plausible candidate for HONO formation in urban atmospheres. For photochemical modeling purposes, a relation is derived in terms of gas phase species only (i.e., excluding the aerosol concentration): NO + NO₂ + H₂O → 2 HONO with a rate constant of 1.68 x 10^-17 e^6348/T (ppm^-2 min^-1). This rate constant is based on an analysis of ambient measurements of HONO, NO, NO₂ and H₂O, with a temperature dependence from the equilibrium constant for formation of N₂O₃. Photochemical grid modeling is used to investigate the effects of this relation on simulated HONO and O₃ concentrations in Los Angeles, and the results are compared to two alternative sources of nighttime HONO that have been used by modelers. Modeling results show that the proposed relation results in HONO concentrations consistent with ambient measurements. Furthermore, the relation represents a conservative modeling approach because HONO production is effectively confined to the model surface layers in the nighttime hours, the time and place for which ambient data exist to show that HONO formation occurs. The empirical relation derived here should provide a useful tool for modelers until such time as knowledge of the HONO forming mechanisms has improved and more quantitative relations can be derived.     

Daytime HONO formation in the suburban area of the megacity Beijing,China

Nitrous acid(HONO),as a primary precursor of OH radicals,has been considered one of the most important nitrogencontaining species in the atmosphere.Up to 30%of primary OH radical production is attributed to the photolysis of HONO.However,the major HONO formation mechanisms are still under discussion.During the Campaigns of Air Quality Research in Beijing and Surrounding Region(CAREBeijing2006)campaign,comprehensive measurements were carried out in the megacity Beijing,where the chemical budget of HONO was fully constrained.The average diurnal HONO concentration varied from 0.33 to 1.2 ppbv.The net OH production rate from HONO,POH(HONO)net,was on average(from 05:00 to 19:00)7.1×106 molecule/(cm3 s),2.7 times higher than from O3 photolysis.This production rate demonstrates the important role of HONO in the atmospheric chemistry of megacity Beijing.An unknown HONO source(Punknown)with an average of 7.3×106molecule/(cm3 s)was derived from the budget analysis during daytime.Punknown provided four times more HONO than the reaction of NO with OH did.The diurnal variation of Punknown showed an apparent photo-enhanced feature with a maximum around 12:00,which was consistent with previous studies at forest and rural sites.Laboratory studies proposed new mechanisms to recruit NO2 and J(NO2)in order to explain a photo-enhancement of of Punknown.In this study,these mechanisms were validated against the observation-constraint Punknown.The reaction of exited NO2 accounted for only 6%of Punknown,and Punknown poorly correlated with[NO2](R=0.26)and J(NO2)[NO2](R=0.35).These results challenged the role of NO2 as a major precursor of the missing HONO source.     

Heterogeneous reactions of HONO formation from NO2 and HNO3: a review

The photolysis of nitrous acid (HONO) is an important reaction of atmospheric chemistry due to the fact that it can be the source of OH radical in the troposphere. Despite its role as a radical precursor, the chemical mechanisms leading to HONO formation are not well understood. It is commonly assumed that HONO formation is due to both homogeneous and heterogeneous processes involving NO_x (mixture of NO and NO₂) in which the kinetic and mechanistic details are still under investigation. In this discussion, we would like to highlight the formation of HONO from NO₂ and nitric acid (HNO₃) in the presence of organic particulate. We understood that in the real case, many parameters can influence the reaction mechanism; however, this is just an effort to have a better understanding of the study of HONO formation in the atmospheric process.     

Reactions of p‐Substituted Phenols with Nitrous Acid in Aqueous Solution

The reaction of phenols with nitrite (nitrous acid HONO, or its conjugated base, NO₂^?) is of importance in stomach fluids (low pH) and in atmospheric hydrometeors (mild acid and basic pH). The initial reaction associated with the oxidation/nitration of 4‐substitued phenols promoted by HONO/NO₂ depends on the pH of the solution. At low pH, the initial step involves the reaction between HONO and phenol, whereas at basic conditions this involves an electron transfer from the phenoxy anion to nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) producing the nitrite anion. The rate of both processes is determined by the donor capacity of the substituent at the 4‐position of the phenol, and the data obtained at pH 2.3 follow a linear Hammett‐type correlation with a slope equal to –1.23. The partition of the gaseous intermediates (NO and NO₂) makes the rate of HONO‐mediated oxidation dependent on their gas–liquid distribution. At low pH, the main process is phenol oxidation, even in oxygen‐free conditions, and the presence of any 4‐substituted phenol decreases the rate of HONO auto‐oxidation.     

Long pathlength differential optical absorption spectroscopy (D O A S) measurements of gaseous HONO,NO2 and HCNO in the California South Coast Air Basin

A differential optical absorption spectrometer (DOAS) system was operated at Long Beach, CA during the 1987 SCAQS Fall episodes to measure atmospheric concentrations of nitrous acid (HONO), as well as ambient levels of nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) and formaldehyde (HCHO). The rapid scanning (-3000 spectra per min) spectrometer was interfaced to a 25 m basepath open, multiple reflection system operated routinely at a total optical path of 800 m. During several of the Fall episodes at Long Beach, levels of gaseous HONO were the highest (>15 ppb) reported to date by the DOAS technique. Although approximately half, to all, of the measured nighttime HONO concentrations could be accounted for by proposed heterogeneous formation pathways involving NO₂, HONO concentrations correlated well with primary pollutants such as CO and NO, suggesting that elevated nighttime HONO concentrations in the western end of the Los Angeles basin may be influenced by emissions of HONO from combustion sources. This has significant implications for models which assume HONO arises only from secondary formation, rather than a combination of direct emissions and atmospheric reactions. Estimates of hydroxyl (OH) radical production show that photolysis of HONO shortly after sunrise on these episode days produces a large pulse of OH radicals at a time of the day when OH production from photolysis of O₃ and HCHO is low. In terms of integrated OH radical production, HONO is of comparable importance to HCHO and much more important than O₃ during these Fall periods.     

An investigation of the dark formation of nitrous acid in environmental chambers

The formation of nitrous acid (HONO) in the dark from initial concentrations of NO₂ of 0.1–20 ppm in air, and the concurrent disappearance of NO₂, were monitored quantitatively by UV differential optical absorption spectroscopy in two different environmental chambers of ca.4300- and 5800-L volume (both with surface/volume ratios of 3.4 m^?1). In these environmental chambers the initial HONO formation rate was first order in the NO₂ concentration and increased with the water vapor concentration. However, the HONO formation rate was independent of the NO concentration and relatively insensitive to temperature. The initial pseudo-first-order consumption rate of NO₂ was (2.8 ± 1.2) × 10^?4 min^?1 in the 5800-L Teflon-coated evacuable chamber and (1.6 ± 0.5) × 10^?4 min^?1 in a 4300-L all-Teflon reaction chamber at ca.300 K and ca.50% RH. The initial HONO yields were ca.40–50% of the NO₂ reacted in the evacuable chamber and ca.10–30% in the all-Teflon chamber. Nitric oxide formation was observed during the later stages of the reaction in the evacuable chamber, but ca.50% of the nitrogen could not be accounted for, and gas phase HNO₃ was not detected. The implications of these data concerning radical sources in environmental chamber irradiations of NO_x? organic-air mixtures, and of HONO formation in polluted atmospheres, are discussed.     

The kinetics and mechanisms of the HO2-NO2 reactions; the significance of peroxynitric acid formation in photochemical smog

Peroxynitric acid has been identified by Fourier transform, infrared, long-path spectroscopy as a product of the UV-irradiated dilute mixtures of HONO, CO, No_x in synthetic air at 24 ± 2°C. The characteristic peaks of this compound are identical to those observed by Niki, in irradiated Cl₂, H₂, NO₂, air mixtures and Hanst, in irradiated Cl₂, CH₂O, NO₂, air mixtures. The concentration of the reactants and products of the HONO, CO, NO_x, air system have been determined as a function of irradiation time. The changes observed were computer simulated using a combination of thirty elementary reactions. The data suggests that both reactions (1) and (2) occur as a result of HO₂-NO₂ interactions in the gas phase: HO₂ + NO₂ å HONO + O₂ (1); HO₂ + NO₂(+M) å HO₂NO₂(+M)(2). The data give the preliminary estimates: k₁/k₂ ≈0.7 ±0.4; k₁/k₃ ≈ 0.043 ± 0.02; k₂/k₃ ≈ 0.058 ± 0.02, where reaction (3) is: HO₂ + NO å HO + NO₂. These data and computer simulations of sunlight-irradiated, NO_x, hydrocarbon, aldehyde-polluted atmospheres suggest that peroxynitric acid may be formed in urban atmospheres at rates which are comparable to those observed for peroxyacetyl nitrate (PAN), and it is concluded that HO₂NO₂ may contribute to the “oxidant” found in these atmopheres.     

The photolysis of ortho-nitrophenols: a new gas phase source of HONO

Formation of nitrous acid (HONO) in the gas phase has been observed for the first time in a flow tube photoreactor upon irradiation (lambda = 300-500 nm) of 2-nitrophenol and methyl substituted derivatives using a selective and sensitive instrument (LOPAP) for the detection of HONO. Formation of HONO by heterogeneous NO2 photochemistry has been excluded, since production of NO2 under the experimental conditions is negligible. Variation of the surface to volume ratio and the nitrophenol concentration showed that the photolysis occurred in the gas phase indicating that HONO formation is initiated by intramolecular hydrogen transfer from the phenolic OH group to the nitro group. From the measured linear dependence of the HONO formation rate on the reactant's concentration and photolysis light intensity, a non-negligible new HONO source is proposed for the urban atmosphere during the day. Unexpectedly high HONO mixing ratios have been observed recently in several field campaigns during the day. It is proposed that the photolysis of aromatic compounds containing the ortho-nitrophenol entity could help to explain, at least in part, this high contribution of HONO to the oxidation capacity of the urban atmosphere.     

Parahalogenated phenols accelerate the photochemical release of nitrogen oxides from frozen solutions containing nitrate

The photolysis of nitrate anion (NO(3)(-)) contained in surface ice and snow can be a regionally significant source of gas-phase nitrogen oxides and affect the composition of the planetary boundary layer. In this study, the photochemical release of nitrogen oxides from frozen solutions containing NO(3)(-) in the presence of organic compounds was investigated. Gas-phase nitrogen oxides were quantified primarily by NO-O(3) chemiluminescence detection of NO and NO(y) (=NO + NO(2) + HONO + HNO(3) + ∑PAN + ∑AN ...) and cavity ring-down spectroscopy of NO(2) and total alkyl nitrates (∑AN). The photochemical production of gas-phase NO(y) was suppressed by the presence of formate, methanesulfonate, toluene, or phenol. In contrast, para-halogenated phenols (in the order of Cl > Br > F) promoted the conversion of NO(3)(-) to gas-phase NO(y), rationalized by acidification of the ice surface.     

Formation of nitrous acid and nitric oxide in the heterogeneous dark reaction of nitrogen dioxide and water vapor in a smog chamber

The dark reaction of NO_x and H₂O vapor in 1 atm of air was studied for the purpose of elucidating the recently discussed unknown radical source in smog chambers. Nitrous acid and nitric oxide were found to be formed by the reaction of NO₂ and H₂O in an evacuable and bakable smog chamber. No nitric acid was observed in the gas phase. The reaction is not stoichiometric and is thought to be a heterogeneous wall reaction. The reaction rate is first order with respect to NO₂ and H₂O, and the concentrations of HONO and NO initially increase linearly with time. The same reaction proceeds with a different rate constant in a quartz cell, and the reaction of NO₂ and H₂¹⁸O gave H¹⁸ONO exclusively. Taking into consideration the heterogeneous reaction of NO₂ and H₂O, the upper limit of the rate constant of the third-order reaction NO + NO₂ + H₂O → 2HONO was deduced to be (3.0 ± 1.4) × 10^?10 ppm^?2-min^?1, which is one order of magnitude smaller than the previously reported value. Nitrous acid formed by the heterogeneous dark reaction of NO₂ and H₂O should contribute significantly to both an initially present HONO and a continuous supply of OH radicals by photolysis in smog chamber experiments.     

Ion chromatographic determination of common ions at ultratrace levels in Antarctic snow and ice

The simultaneous determination of major impurities present in Antarctic snow and ice at ng g^? (ppb) concentrations by ion chromatography is described. Calibration data are presented for ammonium, sodium, potassium, chloride, nitrate and sulphate ions. Special attention is paid to the different ways of removing field contamination from ice and snow cores and suitable equipment is described. The results provide evidence against the validity of published sets of concentration data for nitrogen-containing compounds (NO^?₃ and NH⁺₄ in Antarctic snow, and demonstrate a crucial contamination problem in the determination of ammonium ions.     

The heterogeneous formation of N2O in the presence of acidic solutions: Experiments and modeling

We investigated the heterogeneous processes that contribute towards the formation of N₂O in an environment that comes as closely as possible to exhaust conditions containing NO and SO₂ among other constituents. The simultaneous presence of NO, SO₂, O₂, and condensed phase water in the liquid state has been confirmed to be necessary for the production of significant levels of N₂O. The maximum rate of N₂O formation occurred at the beginning of the reaction and scales with the surface area of the condensed phase and is independent of its volume. The replacement of NO by either NO₂ or HONO significantly increases the rate constant for N₂O formation. The measured reaction orders in the rate law change depending upon the choice of the nitrogen reactant used and were fractional in some cases. The rate constants of N₂O formation for the three different nitrogen reactants reveal the following series of increasing reactivity: NO < NO₂ < HONO, indicating the probable sequential involvement of those species in the elementary reactions. Furthermore, we observed a complex dependence of the rate constant on the acidity of the liquid phase where both the initial rate as well as the yield of N₂O are largest at pH=0 of a H₂SO₄/H₂O solution. The results suggest that HONO is the major reacting N(III) species over a wide range of acidities studied. The N₂O formation in synthetic flue gas may be simulated using a relatively simple mechanism based on the model of Lyon and Cole. The first step of the complex overall reaction corresponds to NO oxidation by O₂ to NO₂ mainly in the gas phase, with the presence of both H₂O and active surfaces significantly accelerating NO₂ production. Subsequently, NO₂ reacts with excess NO to obtain HONO which reacts with S(IV) to result in N₂O and H₂SO₄ through a complex reaction sequence probably involving nitroxyl (HON) and its dimer, hyponitrous acid. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Int J Chem Kinet: 29 : 869–891, 1997.     

Formation of hydroxyl radical from the photolysis of frozen hydrogen peroxide

Hydrogen peroxide (HOOH) in ice and snow is an important chemical tracer for the oxidative capacities of past atmospheres. However, photolysis in ice and snow will destroy HOOH and form the hydroxyl radical (*OH), which can react with snowpack trace species. Reactions of *OH in snow and ice will affect the composition of both the overlying atmosphere (e.g., by the release of volatile species such as formaldehyde to the boundary layer) and the snow and ice (e.g., by the *OH-mediated destruction of trace organics). To help understand these impacts, we have measured the quantum yield of *OH from the photolysis of HOOH on ice. Our measured quantum yields (Phi(HOOH --> *OH)) are independent of ionic strength, pH, and wavelength, but are dependent upon temperature. This temperature dependence for both solution and ice data is best described by the relationship ln(Phi(HOOH --> *OH)) = -(684 +/- 17)(1/T) + (2.27 +/- 0.064) (where errors represent 1 standard error). The corresponding activation energy (Ea) for HOOH (5.7 kJ mol(-1)) is much smaller than that for nitrate photolysis, indicating that the photochemistry of HOOH is less affected by changes in temperature. Using our measured quantum yields, we calculate that the photolytic lifetimes of HOOH in surface snow grains under midday, summer solstice sunlight are approximately 140 h at representative sites on the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets. In addition, our calculations reveal that the majority of *OH radicals formed on polar snow grains are from HOOH photolysis, while nitrate photolysis is only a minor contributor. Similarly, HOOH appears to be much more important than nitrate as a photochemical source of *OH on cirrus ice clouds, where reactions of the photochemically formed hydroxyl radical could lead to the release of oxygenated volatile organic compounds to the upper troposphere.     

Sequential multiple analyses of atmospheric nitrous acid and nitrogen oxides

Sequential injection analysis (SIA) was applied to multi-gas monitoring for atmospheric analysis. HONO, NO₂ or NO was collected in an individual diffusion scrubber in which the channel array was filled with either HCl or triethanolamine solution. All analytes were collected in the form of nitrite ions in the scrubber, and were transferred via a 12-port selection valve into a 2.5-ml syringe. The reagent, 3-amino-1,5-naphthalenedisulfonic acid (C-acid) solution was subsequently introduced into the syringe, and inter-mixed with the nitrite sample, whereafter the mixed solution was transferred to a heated reactor and held for 3 min at 100 °C. After that, the sample/reagent solution was returned to the syringe and alkalinized. Then, the final solution was analyzed using a homemade fluorescence detector. Atmospheric HONO, NO₂ and NO were successfully monitored 3 or 4 times/h. The limits of detection were 0.22, 0.28 and 0.35 ppbv for HONO, NO₂ and NO, respectively. It was demonstrated for the first time that SIA is a good tool for multi-gas atmospheric analysis. These nitrogen-oxygen compounds are interconvertible, and the simultaneous measurement of these gases is important. Especially, HONO is a source of OH radicals which contribute greatly to atmospheric pollution, and indeed atmospheric chemistry. This method allows the three gases to be measured using one system. The NO₂ and NO data obtained by SIA was compared with those obtained using chemiluminescence instrument. SIA has been successfully applied to atmospheric measurements. Interestingly, it was observed that HONO levels rose toward the end of periods of rain.     

Nitrite and Nitrate Production by NO and NO2 Dissolution in Water Utilizing Plasma Jet Resembling Gas Flow Pattern

This study investigated the reactive dissolution of nitric oxide (NO) and nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) mixtures in deionized water. The dissolution study was carried out in a flat surface type gas–liquid reaction chamber utilizing a gas flow-pattern resembling plasma jets which are often used in biomedical applications. The concentration of NO and NO₂ in the gas mixtures was varied in a broad range by oxidizing up to 800 ppm of nitric oxide in Ar carrier gas with variable amount of ozone. The production of nitrite (NO₂^?) and nitrate (NO₃^?) in the water was proportional to treatment time up to 50 min. The concentration of NO₃^? was a power function of gas phase NO₂ while the concentration of NO₂^? increased approximately linearly with gas phase NO₂. The formation of NO₂^? and NO₃^? could be described by reactions between dissolved NO₂ and NO in the water while the production rate was determined by diffusion-limited mass transport of nitrogen oxides to the bulk of the liquid. At higher NO₂ concentrations, the formation of dinitrogen tetraoxide (N₂O₄) increased the formation rate of NO₂^? and NO₃^?. The identified mass transport limitation by diffusion suggests that convection of water created by the gas jet is insufficient and dissolution of nitrogen oxides can be increased by additional mixing. In respect of practical applications, the ratio of NO₂^? /NO₃^? in water could be varied from 0.8 to 5.3 with treatment time and gas phase NO₂ and NO concentrations.

     

Clustering of NO2− with nitrous acid molecules: Experimental and ab initio MO studies

The gas-phase equilibria NO₂^?·(HONO)_n-1 + HONO ? NO₂^?·(HONO)_n were measured in a high-pressure mass spec     

Thermochemistry for enthalpies and reaction paths of nitrous acid isomers

Recent studies show that nitrous acid, HONO, a significant precursor of the hydroxyl radical in the atmosphere, is formed during the photolysis of nitrogen dioxide in soils. The term nitrous acid is largely used interchangeably in the atmospheric literature, and the analytical methods employed do not often distinguish between the HONO structure (nitrous acid) and HNO₂ (nitryl hydride or isonitrous acid). The objective of this study is to determine the thermochemistry of the HNO₂ isomer, which has not been determined experimentally, and to evaluate its thermal and atmospheric stability relative to HONO. The thermochemistry of these isomers is also needed for reference and internal consistency in the calculation of larger nitrite and nitryl systems. We review, evaluate, and compare the thermochemical properties of several small nitric oxide and hydrogen nitrogen oxide molecules. The enthalpies of HONO and HNO₂ are calculated using computational chemistry with the following methods of analysis for the atomization, isomerization, and work reactions using closed‐ and open‐shell reference molecules. Three high‐level composite methods G3, CBS‐QB3, and CBS‐APNO are used for the computation of enthalpy. The enthalpy of formation, ΔH^o_f(298 K), for HONO is determined as ?18.90 ± 0.05 kcal mol^?1 (?79.08 ± 0.2 kJ mol^?1) and as ?10.90 ± 0.05 kcal mol^?1 (?45.61 ± 0.2 kJ mol^?1) for nitryl hydride (HNO₂), which is significantly higher than values used in recent NO_x combustion mechanisms. H‐NO₂ is the weakest bond in isonitrous acid; but HNO₂ will isomerize to HONO with a similar barrier to the HO? NO bond energy; thus, it also serves as a source of OH in atmospheric chemistry. Kinetics of the isomerization is determined; a potential energy diagram of H/N/O₂ system is presented, and an analysis of the triplet surface is initiated. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Chem Kinet 39: 378–398, 2007     

Efficiency of the formation of peroxonitrite during the photolysis of potassium nitrate doped with thallium ions

It is established that the introduction of thallium(I) ions into the potassium nitrate lattice decreases the quantum yield of peroxonitrite during the photolysis of this substance at a wavelength of 253.7 nm because of a lower efficiency of peroxonitrite formation from nitrate ions in the triplet excited state with symmetry E′ as compared to their singlet state of the same symmetry. It is suggested that the primary stage of the formation of peroxonitrite in the crystal is the dissociation of the excited nitrate ion with symmetry E′, a process accompanied by the formation of the [NO^?...O₂] complex.     

Theoretical Study on the Formation of H‐ and O‐Atoms,HONO, OH,NO, and NO2 from the Lowest Lying Singlet and Triplet States in Ortho‐Nitrophenol Photolysis

The photolysis of nitrophenols was proposed as a source of reactive radicals and NOx compounds in polluted air. The S₀ singlet ground state and T₁ first excited triplet state of nitrophenol were investigated to assess the energy dependence of the photofragmentation product distribution as a function of the reaction conditions, based on quantum chemical calculations at the G3SX//M06–2X/aug‐cc‐pVTZ level of theory combined with RRKM master equation calculations. On both potential energy surfaces, we find rapid isomerization with the aci‐nitrophenol isomer, as well as pathways forming NO, NO₂, OH, HONO, and H‐, and O‐atoms, extending earlier studies on the T₁ state and in agreement with available work on other nitroaromatics. We find that accessing the lowest photofragmentation channel from the S₀ ground state requires only 268 kJ/mol of activation energy, but at a pressure of 1 atm collisional energy loss dominates such that significant fragmentation only occurs at internal energies exceeding 550 kJ/mol, making this surface unimportant for atmospheric photolysis. Intersystem crossing to the T₁ triplet state leads more readily to fragmentation, with dissociation occurring at energies of ～450 kJ/mol above the singlet ground state even at 1 atm. The main product is found to be OH + nitrosophenoxy, followed by formation of hydroxyphenoxy + NO and phenyloxyl + HONO. The predictions are compared against available experimental data.