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Sodium hydroxide ions in the stratosphere
Author(s) -
Ferguson Eldon E.
Publication year - 1978
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/gl005i012p01035
Subject(s) - ion , hydroxide , sodium hydroxide , protonation , sodium , hydrate , proton , chemistry , molecule , inorganic chemistry , sodium oxide , oxide , physics , organic chemistry , quantum mechanics
Recently observed non‐proton hydrate ions observed at 37 km by Arnold, Böhringer and Henschen are interpreted as being protonated sodium hydroxide cluster ions of the form NaOH 2 + (H 2 O) n (NaOH) m . Values of n from 0 to 4 and m from 0 to 2 allow an interpretation of all seven unidentified NPH ions reported by Arnold et al . The sodium oxide molecules believed to exist below the well‐known sodium layer around 90 km are presumed to convert to the more stable NaOH molecules below ∼ 40 km where the OH/H and HO 2 /H concentration ratios become very large. The very large proton affinity of NaOH (∼248 kcal mol −1 ) virtually assures proton transfer from the H + (H 2 O) n ions that are produced in the stratosphere and observed to be dominant above ∼ 40 km. The possible role of other metallic species in stratospheric ion chemistry is briefly discussed.