Upper limits for the rate coefficients for reactions of BrO with Formaldehyde and HBr

Abstract

The reactions of the BrO radical with hydrogen bromide, BrO + HBr → HOBr + Br (R4) and with HCHO, BrO + HCHO → HOBr + HCO (R5) have been studied at 298 K, 1 atm. pressure in an environmental chamber. No conclusive evidence for the occurrence of either reaction was found and upper limits for both reaction rate coefficients are reported (k 4, k 5 < 4 x 10 -15 cm 3 molecule -1 s -1). These upper limits are about 4-5 times lower than recent estimates [Hansen et al., 1999a,b].