KINETICS OF THE REACTIONS CH3O+NO, CH3O+NO3, AND CH3O2+NO3

A discharge flow reactor coupled to laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) a nd mass spectrometry has been used to study the kinetics of the reacti ons of CH3O with NO and NO3. The value of the rate constant for the re action CH3O + NO --> products at 298 K and at 1 Torr of He has been fo und to be k = (4.8 +/- 0.4) x 10(-12) cm(3) molecule(-1) s(-1), in goo d agreement with the literature data. From the kinetic analysis of CH3 O by LIF, the reaction CH3O +/- NO3 --> CH3O2 + NO2 (1) has been found to be followed by the reaction CH3O2 + NO3 --> CH3O + NO2 + O-2 (2). Modeling calculations gave for the rate constants of these two reactio ns, at 298 K, k(1) = (1.8 +/- 0.5) x 10(-12) cm(3) molecule(-1) s(-1) and k(2) = (1.2 +/- 0.6) x 10(-12) cm(3) molecule(-1) s(-1). Compariso n with recent Literature data is given, and the atmospheric implicatio n for nighttime chemistry is briefly discussed.