Kinetics and Mechanisms of the Gas-Phase Reactions of the NO3 Radical with Organic Compounds

Abstract

A substantial data base concerning the rate constants for the gas-phase reactions of the nitrate (NO3) radical with organic compounds is now available, with rate constants having been determined using both absolute and relative rate methods. To date, the majority of these kinetic date have been obtained at room temperature using relative rate techniques utilizing both the reactions of the NO3 radical with other organic compounds and the equilibrium constant for the NO3+NO2⇄N2O5 reactions as the reference reaction. In this article, the literature kinetic and mechanistic data for the gas-phase reactions of the NO3 radical with organic compounds (through late 1990) have been tabulated, reviewed and evaluated. While this available data base exhibits generally good agreement and self-consistency, further absolute rate data are needed, preferably as a function of temperature. Most importantly, mechanistic and product data for the reactions of the NO3 radical with organic compounds need to be obtained.