Atmospheric chemistry of FCOx radicals: Kinetic and mechanistic study of the FC(O)O2 + NO2 reaction

A pulse radiolysis system was used to study the kinetics of the reaction of FC(O)O₂ radicals with NO₂. By monitoring the rate of the decay of NO₂ using its absorption at 400 nm the reaction rate constant was determined to be (5.5 ± 0.6) × 10^?12 cm³ molecule^?1 s^?1 at 296 K and 500–1000 mbar pressure of SF₆ diluent. A long path length Fourier transform infrared spectrometer was used to investigate the thermal stability of the product FC(O)O₂NO₂. The rate of thermal decomposition of FC(O)O₂NO₂ was independent of the total pressure of N₂ diluent over the range 100–700 torr and was fit by the expression k_?3 = 6.0 × 10¹⁶ exp(?14150/T) s^?1. The results are discussed in the context of the atmospheric chemistry of FCO_x radicals. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.