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Tropospheric HONO and reactions of oxides of nitrogen with NaCl
Author(s) -
Vogt Rainer,
FinlaysonPitts Barbara J.
Publication year - 1994
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1029/94gl02238
Subject(s) - nitrous acid , nitrite , salt (chemistry) , nitrate , troposphere , sea salt , chemistry , inorganic chemistry , nitrogen , particle (ecology) , environmental chemistry , nitrogen dioxide , diffuse reflectance infrared fourier transform , particulates , photochemistry , aerosol , organic chemistry , catalysis , atmospheric sciences , geology , oceanography , photocatalysis
Although nitrous acid is important in both the polluted and remote troposphere, as well as indoors, its mechanisms of production from oxides of nitrogen are not well known. The reactions of N 2 O 5 with NaCl and NaBr in sea salt particles in the presence of water have been hypothesized recently to act as sources of particulate nitrite and which forms gaseous HONO. We report here the results of studies of the reactions of N 2 O 5 , HONO and NO 2 with NaCl using diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy (DRIFTS) to follow the formation of products on the salt surface. The infrared bands arising from species formed on the salt surface can be attributed to nitrate ions associated with water molecules; the presence of NO 3 − was confirmed by chemical analysis of the reacted salts. No nitrite was detected either by DRIFTS or by chemical analysis. Thus the reactions of sea salt particles with N 2 O 5 in the troposphere are not expected to be significant sources of particle nitrite nor of gaseous HONO via conversion of the particle nitrite.