Oxidation of sulphur compounds in the atmosphere: I. Rate constants of OH radical reactions with sulphur dioxide, hydrogen sulphide, aliphatic thiols and thiophenol

The reactions of OH radicals with SO2, H2S, thiophenol, and a series of aliphatic thiols (1–5 C-atoms) have been investigated in 201 and 381 reaction chambers at 1 atm total pressure and 300 K using a competitive kinetic technique. Initially, OH radicals were produced by photolysis of CH3ONO/NO mixtures in air. Applying this OH source rate constants for OH with SO2, H2S, and thiophenol in synthetic air were determined to be (1.1±0.2)×10-12, (5.5±0.8)×10-12 and (1.1±0.2)×10-11 cm3 s-1, respectively. However, when this method was applied to the aliphatic thiols the rate constants obtained were found to be dependent on the partial pressures of O2 and NO. These effects have been attributed to the built-up of a radical species, not yet identified, which leads to uncontrolled chain reactions in the system. Using the photolysis of H2O2 at wavelengths greater than 260 nm as the OH source in 1 atm N2, rate constants for the 1–5 aliphatic thiols in the range 2.9 to 5.6×10-11 cm3 s-1 were obtained. The rate constants obtained in the present study are compared with recent literature values.