Spectroscopic measurement of free radicals (OH, NO3) in the atmosphere

Summary Due to their high chemical reactivity free radicals are the driving force for most chemical processes in the atmosphere, this is true, in particular, for OH- and NO₃-radicals. Thus, knowledge of the concentration of those species in the atmosphere is a key requirement for the investigation of atmospheric chemistry. The low concentration of free radicals makes measurements particularly difficult, however. Among several techniques applied to the problem UV/visible differential absorption spectroscopy appears to be the most successful for the observation of OH and NO₃. Detection limits of the order of 10⁶ and 10⁷ molec/cm³, respectively, have been reached, which are sufficiently low to resolve diurnal profiles of both species. The relative importance of both radicals in the NO_x to nitric acid conversion is discussed.     

Fast scanning laser DOAS — A very promising technique for monitoring OH and other tropospheric trace gases

Summary A very promising technique for time resolved local OH measurements is presented which makes use of differential optical absorption spectroscopy (DOAS). The light source is a rapidly tuned, narrowband, frequency-doubled, and power-stabilized dye laser. Due to fast scanning and power stabilization the fluctuations of the atmosphere and the light source are minimized; thus a detection limit better than 10^–5 can be achieved for atmospheric long-path absorption measurements. In a first test near Frankfurt a.M. tropospheric OH was observed with concentrations ranging from 8×10⁵ OH cm^–3 to 2×10⁶ OH cm^–3. The absorption path-length was 800 m and the acquisition time 5 min. In a second generation system the performance of the apparatus was highly improved. A multiple reflection system with a special design for tropospheric open path measurements was constructed. Local OH-measurements in a compartment of only some meters with a well known chemistry are now feasible. Furthermore, a self-test technique was installed for verifying the results and to improve the reliability of tropospheric data. Further application of the experimental device will be its use in monitoring of trace gases absorbing in the ultraviolet, like SO₂, and in the visible, such as NO₂, to gain a more complex data set for the use with model calculations and to realize a multicomponent device.     

Mass spectrometric study of simple main group molecules and ions important in atmospheric processes

Recent mass spectrometric studies of simple inorganic species (both charged and neutral) of main-group elements are reviewed, focusing attention on radicals and ions of interest to the chemistry of the atmosphere and its pollution. The examples illustrated concern the detection of HO₃, hydrogen trioxide, the O₂/O₃ isotope exchange and its charged intermediate O₅⁺, the reactions promoted by ionization of ozone/halocarbon mixtures in atmospheric gases, the ion chemistry of NO_x oxides, and that of elemental chlorine and chlorine fluoride. Among the results of specific interest to gas-phase ion chemistry, the examples illustrated concern the intracluster ligand-switching reactions in ternary NO⁺ complexes, the NO₂⁺ reactivity towards ethylene and acetylene, the gas-phase basicity of Cl₂, the formation and characterization of Cl₂X⁺ ions (X = Cl, F) and of [H₃C-Cl-Cl]⁺, a new isomer of protonated dichloromethane.     

Theoretical Investigation of the Photoexcited NO2+H2O reaction at the Air–Water Interface and Its Atmospheric Implications

The atmospheric role of photochemical processes involving NO₂ beyond its dissociation limit (398 nm) is controversial. Recent experiments have confirmed that excited NO₂^* beyond 420 nm reacts with water according to NO₂^*+H₂O→HONO+OH. However, the estimated kinetic constant for this process in the gas phase is quite small (k≈10⁻¹⁵–3.4×10⁻¹⁴ cm³ molecule⁻¹ s⁻¹) suggesting minor atmospheric implications of the formed radicals. In this work, ab initio molecular dynamics simulations of NO₂ adsorbed at the air–water interface reveal that the OH production rate increases by about 2 orders of magnitude with respect to gas phase, attaining ozone reference values for NO₂ concentrations corresponding to slightly polluted rural areas. This finding substantiates the argument that chemistry on clouds can be an additional source of OH radicals in the troposphere and suggests directions for future laboratory experimental studies.     

Nitramine and nitrosamine formation is a minor pathway in the atmospheric oxidation of methylamine: A theoretical kinetic study of the CH3NH + O2 reaction

The atmospheric oxidation of amines proceeds via initial radical attack at C–H or N–H bonds to form carbon- and nitrogen-centered radicals, respectively. It is conventionally assumed that nitrogen-centered aminyl radicals react slowly with oxygen in the troposphere and associate predominantly with the radicals ^•NO and NO₂^• to form toxic nitrosamines and nitramines. We have used theoretical kinetic modeling techniques to study the prototypical CH₃N^•H + O₂ reaction and have shown that it proceeds to CH₂NH + HO₂^• under tropospheric conditions with a rate coefficient of 3.6 × 10⁻¹⁷ cm³ molecule⁻¹ s⁻¹. Although this value is low compared to the competing NO_x reactions (∼10⁻¹¹ cm³ molecule⁻¹ s⁻¹), the much higher concentration of O₂ versus NO_x in air makes it the dominant process in the atmospheric oxidation of methylamine for NO_x concentrations below 100 ppb. The mechanism identified here is available to amines with primary, secondary, and tertiary α carbons and suggests that they may be less likely to form nitramines and nitrosamines than is currently thought.     

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.     

Nighttime radical observations and chemistry

The nitrate radical, NO(3), is photochemically unstable but is one of the most chemically important species in the nocturnal atmosphere. It is accompanied by the presence of dinitrogen pentoxide, N(2)O(5), with which it is in rapid thermal equilibrium at lower tropospheric temperatures. These two nitrogen oxides participate in numerous atmospheric chemical systems. NO(3) reactions with VOCs and organic sulphur species are important, or in some cases even dominant, oxidation pathways, impacting the budgets of these species and their degradation products. These oxidative reactions, together with the ozonolysis of alkenes, are also responsible for the nighttime production and cycling of OH and peroxy (HO(2) + RO(2)) radicals. In addition, reactions of NO(3) with biogenic hydrocarbons are particularly efficient and are responsible for the production of organic nitrates and secondary organic aerosol. Heterogeneous chemistry of N(2)O(5) is one of the major processes responsible for the atmospheric removal of nitrogen oxides as well as the cycling of halogen species though the production of nitryl chloride, ClNO(2). The chemistry of NO(3) and N(2)O(5) is also important to the regulation of both tropospheric and stratospheric ozone. Here we review the essential features of this atmospheric chemistry, along with field observations of NO(3), N(2)O(5), nighttime peroxy and OH radicals, and related compounds. This review builds on existing reviews of this chemistry, and encompasses field, laboratory and modelling work spanning more than three decades.     

Cavity ring‐down study of BrO radicals: Kinetics of the Br + O3 reaction and rate of relaxation of vibrationally excited BrO by collisions with N2 and O2

Cavity ring‐down (CRD) techniques were used to study the kinetics of the reaction of Br atoms with ozone in 1–205 Torr of either N₂ or O₂, diluent at 298 K. By monitoring the rate of formation of BrO radicals, a value of k(Br + O₃) = (1.2 ± 0.1) × 10⁻¹² cm³ molecule⁻¹ s⁻¹ was established that was independent of the nature and pressure of diluent gas. The rate of relaxation of vibrationally excited BrO radicals by collisions with N₂ and O₂ was measured; k(BrO(v) + O₂ → BrO(v − 1) + O₂) = (5.7 ± 0.3) × 10⁻¹³ and k(BrO(v) + N₂ → BrO(v − 1) + N₂) = (1.5 ± 0.2) × 10⁻¹³ cm³ molecule⁻¹ s⁻¹. The increased efficiency of O₂ compared with N₂ as a relaxing agent for vibrationally excited BrO radicals is ascribed to the formation of a transient BrO–O₂ complex. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Int J Chem Kinet 32: 125–130, 2000     

FT‐IR kinetic and product study of the Br‐initiated oxidation of dimethyl sulfide

An FT‐IR kinetic and product study of the Br‐atom‐initiated oxidation of dimethyl sulfide (DMS) has been performed in a large‐volume reaction chamber at 298 K and 1000‐mbar total pressure as a function of the bath gas composition (N₂ + O₂). In the kinetic investigations using the relative kinetic method, considerable scatter was observed between individual determinations of the rate coefficient, suggesting the possibility of interference from secondary chemistry in the reaction system involving dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) formation. Despite the experimental difficulties, an overall bimolecular rate coefficient for the reaction of Br atoms with DMS under atmospheric conditions at 298 K of ≤1 × 10⁻¹³ cm³ molecule⁻¹ s⁻¹ can be deduced. The major sulfur products observed included SO₂, CH₃SBr, and DMSO. The kinetic observations in combination with the product studies under the conditions employed are consistent with rapid addition of Br atoms to DMS forming an adduct that mainly re‐forms reactants but can also decompose unimolecularly to form CH₃SBr and CH₃ radicals. The observed formation of DMSO is attributed to reactions of BrO radicals with DMS rather than reaction of the Br–DMS adduct with O₂ as has been previously speculated and is thought to be responsible for the variability of the measured rate coefficient. The reaction CH₃O₂ + Br → BrO + CH₃O is postulated as the source of BrO radicals. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Int J Chem Kinet 31: 883–893, 1999     

Rate constants for the gas-phase reactions of cis-3-Hexen-1-ol,cis-3-Hexenylacetate,trans-2-Hexenal,and Linalool with OH and NO3 radicals and O3 at 296 ± 2 K,and OH radical formation yields from the O3 reactions

Rate constants for the gas-phase reactions of the four oxygenated biogenic organic compounds cis-3-hexen-1-ol, cis-3-hexenylacetate, trans-2-hexenal, and linalool with OH radicals, NO₃ radicals, and O₃ have been determined at 296 ± 2 K and atmospheric pressure of air using relative rate methods. The rate constants obtained were (in cm³ molecule^?1 s^?1 units): cis-3-hexen-1-ol: (1.08 ± 0.22) × 10^?10 for reaction with the OH radical; (2.72 ± 0.83) × 10^?13 for reaction with the NO₃ radical; and (6.4 ± 1.7) × 10^?17 for reaction with O₃; cis-3-hexenylacetate: (7.84 ± 1.64) × 10^?11 for reaction with the OH radical; (2.46 ± 0.75) × 10^?13 for reaction with the NO₃ radical; and (5.4 ± 1.4) × 10^?17 for reaction with O₃; trans-2-hexenal: (4.41 ± 0.94) × 10^?11 for reaction with the OH radical; (1.21 ± 0.44) × 10^?14 for reaction with the NO₃ radical; and (2.0 ± 1.0) × 10^?18 for reaction with O₃; and linalool: (1.59 ± 0.40) × 10^?10 for reaction with the OH radical; (1.12 ± 0.40) × 10^?11 for reaction with the NO₃ radical; and (4.3 ± 1.6) × 10^?16 for reaction with O₃. Combining these rate constants with estimated ambient tropospheric concentrations of OH radicals, NO₃ radicals, and O₃ results in calculated tropospheric lifetimes of these oxygenated organic compounds of a few hours. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

The kinetics of the nitrate radical self-reaction

This article describes the first direct determination of the rate coefficient for the self-reaction between two NO₃ radicals. A laser photolysis technique was used to generate NO₃, and time-resolved decays of NO₃ were followed after stopping the photolysis. The products of the reaction are inferred to be NO₂ and O₂. The derived rate coefficient at room temperature for the self-reaction of (2.3 ± 0.8) ×10^?16 cm³ molecule^?1s^?1 is in excellent agreement with the only other data, which were obtained in an indirect study. Consideration is given to the magnitude and influence of secondary chemistry and to the participation of FO in the chemistry of the NO₃ buildup phase. The studies were conducted over a pressure range of 8 to 100 torr in helium. No clear pressure dependence was observed, and some tentative inferences are drawn both from this result and from the absolute magnitude of the rate coefficient about the mechanism of the reaction. There is apparently no role for the reaction in the chemistry of the atmosphere. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Reaction of the NO3 radical with CO: Determination of an upper limit for the rate constant using FTIR spectroscopy

An upper limit for the reaction rate of CO with the nitrate radical NO₃ has been determined equal to 4 × 10^?19 cm⁺³ molec^?1 s^?1 at 295 ± 2 K. In the experiment the isotopic species C¹³O¹⁶ and C¹³O¹⁸ mixed at 1–2 ppmv level in synthetic air have been reacted with NO₃ and the reaction followed using long path infrared absorption FT spectroscopy. The result is of interest in the studies on the role played by NO₃ in nighttime tropospheric chemistry.     

Kinetic Studies of Nitrate Radicals: Flash Photolysis at 193 nm

Nitrate radicals, NO₃, were produced for the first time by 193 nm laser flash photolysis of N₂O₅ and HNO₃. Detection was achieved due to NO₃'s strong absorption at 622.7 nm confirmed by measurements of the absorption spectrum in the range of 617–625 nm using both NO₃ precursors. Time‐resolved kinetic studies allowed the determination of room temperature rate coefficients for the reactions of NO₃ with 2‐methylbut‐2‐ene and NO₂ of (1.28 ± 0.11) × 10^?11 and (8.4 ± 1.2) × 10^?13 cm³ molecule^?1 s^?1, respectively. The rate coefficients compare well to previous measurements with alternative techniques, suggesting that the reported method is valid and may be applied in follow‐up studies. The rate coefficient for 2‐methylbut‐2‐ene is compared to previous measurements and predictions for the alkene as well as the related alkenol. The new data are consistent with a previously suggested deactivation of the reactive site of the double bond if adjacent to an OH group. A calculated atmospheric lifetime for 2‐methylbut‐2‐ene with respect to NO₃‐initiated oxidation of less than 3 min suggests predominant removal by NO₃ in the atmosphere.     

Reactivity of Semivolatile Organic Compounds with Hydroxyl Radicals,Nitrate Radicals,and Ozone in Indoor Air

Indoor semivolatile organic compounds (SVOCs) originate from indoor and outdoor sources. These SVOCs partition among different phases and available surfaces, which increases their residence time indoors to several years. SVOCs may also react with indoor oxidants, such as hydroxyl radicals (OH), nitrate radicals (NO₃), and ozone. In the present study, the second‐order reaction rate constants of 72 SVOCs in indoor air (gas and particle phases) at room temperature and ambient air pressure were retrieved from the literature. The pseudo–first‐order reaction rate constants of these SVOCs were calculated for the indoor concentration ranges of OH, NO₃, and ozone. Then, the extent to which the chemical reaction had a meaningful impact on the removal of SVOCs from the indoor environment was quantitatively analyzed. The orders of magnitude of the second‐order rate constant ranged between 10⁻¹⁵ and 10⁻¹⁰ cm³/(molecule·s) for OH/SVOC reactions, 10⁻¹⁷ and 10⁻¹² cm³/(molecule·s) for NO₃/SVOC reactions, and 10⁻²⁰ and 10⁻¹⁶ cm³/(molecule·s) for ozone/SVOC reactions in indoor air. Assuming that the highest indoor reactant concentrations were 1.8 × 10⁶ molecules/cm³ (7.3 × 10⁻⁵ ppb) for OH, 2.5 × 10⁸ molecules/cm³ (10⁻² ppb) for NO₃, and 1.4 × 10¹² molecules/cm³ (58 ppb) for ozone, the highest pseudo–first‐order rate constants in the gas phase for the studied reactions of OH/SVOCs (n = 72), NO₃/SVOCs (n = 3), and ozone/SVOCs (n = 14) reached 1.5 h⁻¹ (OH/benzo[a]pyrene), 0.41 h⁻¹ (NO₃/acenaphthene), and 1.0 h⁻¹ (ozone/aldrin and ozone/heptachlor), respectively. The pseudo–first‐order rate constants in the particle phase for the studied reactions of OH/SVOCs (n = 13), NO₃/SVOCs (n = 6), and ozone/SVOCs (n = 14) at the high indoor reactant concentrations reached 0.09 h⁻¹ (OH/DEHP), 5.8 h⁻¹ (NO₃/pyrene), and 11 h⁻¹ (ozone/benzo[a ]pyrene), respectively. These results indicate that the chemical reactions of some SVOCs in indoor air have a meaningful impact compared to the air exchange rate, which should be considered in future studies on indoor air quality modeling.     

Radical loss in a chain reaction of CO and NO in the presence of water: Implications for the radical amplifier and atmospheric chemistry

Atmospheric pressure rate coefficients for the loss of HO₂, CH₃O₂, and C₂H₅O₂ radicals to the wall of a ¼″ Teflon tube have been measured. In dry air, they are 2.8 ± 0.2 s⁻¹ for HO₂ and 0.8 ± 0.1 s⁻¹ for both CH₃O₂ and C₂H₅O₂ radicals. The rate coefficient for HO₂ loss increases markedly with the relative humidity of the air; however, the organic radicals show no such dependence. These data are used in a kinetic model of the radical amplifier chemistry to investigate the reported sensitivity to water concentration. The increased wall loss accounts for only some of the observed water dependence, suggesting there is an unreported water contribution to the gas phase chemistry. Including the reaction of the HO₂/water adduct with NO to yield HNO₃ or HOONO into the mechanism is shown to provide a better simulation of the observed water dependence of the radical detector. This reaction would also be important in atmospheric chemistry as it provides an additional loss mechanism for both radicals and NO_x. ©1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Int J Chem Kinet 31: 145–152, 1999     

Global inorganic source of atmospheric bromine

A few bromine molecules per trillion (ppt) causes the complete destruction of ozone in the lower troposphere during polar spring and about half of the losses associated with the "ozone hole" in the stratosphere. Recent field and aerial measurements of the proxy BrO in the free troposphere suggest an even more pervasive global role for bromine. Models, which quantify ozone trends by assuming atmospheric inorganic bromine (Bry) stems exclusively from long-lived bromoalkane gases, significantly underpredict BrO measurements. This discrepancy effectively implies a ubiquitous tropospheric background level of approximately 4 ppt Bry of unknown origin. Here, we report that I- efficiently catalyzes the oxidation of Br- and Cl- in aqueous nanodroplets exposed to ozone, the everpresent atmospheric oxidizer, under conditions resembling those encountered in marine aerosols. Br- and Cl-, which are rather unreactive toward O3 and were previously deemed unlikely direct precursors of atmospheric halogens, are readily converted into IBr2- and ICl2- en route to Br2(g) and Cl2(g) in the presence of I-. Fine sea salt aerosol particles, which are predictably and demonstrably enriched in I- and Br-, are thus expected to globally release photoactive halogen compounds into the atmosphere, even in the absence of sunlight.     

Mechanisms of Photochemical Air Pollution

Selected aspects of the chemistry of photochemical air pollution is discussed and some important, unresolved problems dilineated. The reactive species considered include NO₂, O₃, O(³P), O(¹D), O₂(¹Δ_g), OH and HO₂. Both the kinetics and mechanicsms of the reactions constituting the major tropospheric sources and sinks of these species are treated where available. The application of this information in both computer and smog chamber simulations of photochemical smog is discussed.     

Theoretical study on the reaction of the phenoxy radical with O2, OH,and NO2

Unlike the chemistry underlying the self‐coupling of phenoxy (C₆H₅O) radicals, there are very limited kinetics data at elevated temperatures for the reaction of the phenoxy radical with other species. In this study, we investigate the addition reactions of O_2, OH, and NO₂ to the phenoxy radical. The formation of a phenoxy‐peroxy is found to be very slow with a rate constant fitted to k = 1.31 × 10^?20T^2.49 exp (?9300/T) cm³/mol/s in the temperature range of (298–2,000 K) where the addition occurs predominantly at the ortho site. Our rate constant is in line with the consensus of opinions in the literature pointing to the observation of no discernible reaction between the oxygen molecule and the resonance‐stabilized phenoxy radical. Addition of OH at the ortho and para sites of the phenoxy radical is found to afford adducts with sizable well depths of 59.8 and 56.0 kcal/mol, respectively. The phenoxy‐NO₂ bonds are found to be among the weakest known phenoxy‐radical bonds (1.7–8.7 kcal/mol). OH‐ and O₂‐initiated mechanisms for the degradation of atmospheric phenoxy appear to be negligible and the fate of atmospheric phenoxy is found to be controlled by its reaction with NO₂. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2011