A product study of the reaction of CH radicals with nitric oxide at 298 K

The product formation of the reaction of CH radicals with NO was studied in the gas phase at 100 Torr total pressure and 298 K. CH radicals were gener ated by excimer laser photolysis of CHClBr2/Ar mixtures. In the presence of nitric oxide, the formation of NH, CN and NCO radicals in their electronic ground states was monitored by laser-induced fluorescence. From the result s of time resolved measurements of the radical concentrations, bimolecular rate coefficients for the reactions CH + X and X + NO [X = NH(X (3)Sigma(-) ), CN(X (2)Sigma(+)) and NCO(X 2 Pi)] were determined. From their kinetic b ehaviour, NH and CN radicals were unequivocally identified as direct reacti on products of the reaction CH + NO, whereas the formation mechanism of NCO remains unclear.