OH-initiated degradation mechanisms of aromatics and photooxidant-forming cycles of ROx: OH-Benzene, OH-Toluene and OH-Toluene-d8

Starting with the new fact that a peroxy radical exists as intermediate in the OH-initiated degradation of aromatics in equilibrium with the OH adduct, measurements of OH (produced by excimer laser photolysis of H2O2 and monitored by cw-UV-laser longpath absorption) in the presence of aromatics and NO in air at 1atm (resulting in approximately triexponential decays of OH) were evaluated by model calculations to obtain the yield of HO2 via the OH radicals regeneraded from the OH-adducts and peroxy radicals of the three aromatics.