KINETIC-STUDIES OF THE REACTION BETWEEN NO3 AND OCLO AT T=300 K AND P=2-8 TORR

The kinetics of the reaction between the radicals NO3 and OClO have be en investigated at low pressure and room temperature using three labor atory techniques: discharge stopped-flow, slow-flow, and discharge-flo w. in all types of experiment, strong evidence was found to suggest th at reaction between the two species occurred on the walls of the react ion cell and led to the release of ClO into the gas phase. No evidence was found for the occurrence of the homogeneous reaction NO3 + OCl0 - -> products, and an upper limit for the rate coefficient for this proc ess of 6 x 10(-17) cm(3) molecule(-1) s(-1) was determined. These expe rimental results are in disagreement with those of a previous study an d suggest that this gas-phase reaction is unlikely to be of atmospheri c importance even in the regions of the nighttime stratosphere where b oth species coexist.