Measurement of kinetic parameters of gas-phase reactions relevant to atmospheric chemistry

The kinetic parameters of the reactions of tropospheric oxidants with volatile organic compounds (VOCs), released into the atmosphere, are essential for assessing and comparing their environmental consequences. The most important tropospheric oxidant in the daytime is the OH radical, whereas Cl atom also becomes important in the conditions of marine boundary layer and polluted industrial locations. This article summarizes the recent measurements of the kinetic parameters for the reactions of OH and Cl, with two categories of VOCs the less reactive ones with tropospheric lifetimes of more than 10 days, responsible for global problems, and the more reactive ones with tropospheric lifetimes of few hours, causing local effects. In addition to their atmospheric implications, the results are important for developing structure activity relations and also reveal the complex chemistry involved in some of the reactions.