Objective
The objectives are to introduce new experimental techniques in peroxy radical research which improve the knowledge on the peroxy radicals which are important degradation products of volatile organic compounds reacting with hydroxyl, nitrate and ozone.
The work of the present project significantly contributes to a better understanding of different aspects of the peroxy radical chemistry, both in terms of reactivity and reaction mechanisms. The integration of the available kinetic and mechanistic data for RO2 radicals into atmospheric models gives an improved description of the ozone budget in the troposphere at the different spatial scales.
The research efforts on larger peroxy radicals, as developed within LACTOZ, will be continued. The work involves complemetary studies of 5 European laboratories using different experimental techniques for a number of hydrocarbons selected to represent different types of organic compounds.
Besides the investigation on kinetic data and reaction mechanisms using these techniques, the reactivity of peroxy radicals will be studied as a function of the number and position of carbon atoms, various substitutional and structural groups in order to establish reactivity rules for better understanding and predicting kinetic parameters of previously unstudied radicals.
The species investigated include peroxy radicals such as C2H5O2, CH3OCH2O2, HOCH2CH2O2 formed in the oxidation of ethane, dimethylether and ethylene. A new technique for detection of peroxy radicals (laser photofragment emission) is applied to the HO2+CH3O2 reaction.
Funding Scheme
CSC - Cost-sharing contractsCoordinator
55020 Mainz
Germany
Participants (4)
42097 Wuppertal
30167 Hannover
33405 Talence
OX11 0RA Didcot - Oxfordshire