Kinetics of the reaction HO₂ + NO₂(+M) = HO₂NO₂ using molecular modulation spectrometry

Rate constants for the reaction HO₂ + NO₂(+ M) = HO₂NO₂(+ M) have been obtained from direct observations of the HO₂ radical using the technique of molecular modulation ultraviolet spectrometry. HO₂ was generated by periodic photolysis of Cl₂ in the presence of excess H₂ and O₂, and k₁ was determined from the measured concentrations and lifetime of HO₂ with NO₂ present. k₁ increased with pressure in the range of 40–600 Torr, and a simple energy transfer model gave the following limiting second- and third-order rate constants at 283 K: k₁^∞ = 1.5 ± 0.5 × 10⁻¹² cm³/molec·sec and k₁^III = 2.5 ± 0.5 × 10⁻³¹ cm⁶/molec·sec. The ultraviolet absorption spectrum of peroxynitric acid was also recorded in the range of 195–265 nm; it showed a broad feature with a maximum at 200 nm, σ_max = 4.4 × 10⁻¹⁸ cm².