The rate constant for the reacton of methyl radicals with ozone has been examined. The methyl radicals were generated by the reaction of oxygen atoms with ethylene in a fast flow reactor, and were detected using a photoionization mass spectrometer. For a sufficiently high concentration of oxygen atoms, the methyl radicals were observed to be at their steady state concentration. Addition of the O3ndash;O2mixture to this system caused a decrease in the steady state CH3concentration, due to the reactions, CH3+O3rarr;products (5) and CH3+O2rarr;products (4). Signals from the CH3radical were measured in the presence and absence of ozone. In the case of no ozone, the O3ndash;O2mixture was passed through a heated quartz tube to convert the ozone to molecular oxygen. Since the rate constants for the reaction of CH3+O and CH3+O2were determined previously, the absolute rate constant for reaction (5) could be obtained from the competition among these reactions. The rate constant determined for reaction (5) is (7.0plusmn;2.7)times;10minus;13cm3moleculeminus;1secminus;1, and is independent of the total pressure (2sim;6 Torr of helium). This rate constant is about 200 times less than that for the reaction of CH3+O and is nearly equal to the high pressure limit rate constant for the CH3+O2reaction. The reaction mechanism and relevance to reactions in the stratospheric ozone layer are discussed.
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