Mass accommodation coefficient for HO2 radicals on aqueous particles

The rate of reaction of gas phase HO2 radicals with a monodisperse, submicrometer aerosol was measured in a flow tube reactor at atmospheric pressure. At the relative humidity of the experiments (75%), the aerosol consisted of concentrated solution droplets of either LiNO3 or NH4HSO4. When the aerosol contained a sufficient amount of Cu(II) ions, reaction of HO2 with the aerosol was observed. The mass accommodation coefficient for HO2 on aqueous particles was determined to be greater than 0.2. This implies that in clouds HO2 mass transport will be limited by gas-phase diffusion and HO2 will be in equilibrium at the gas-liquid interface. Reactions of HO2 with Cu(I) and Cu(II) ions in submicrometer aerosols may have a significant role in converting atmospheric odd hydrogen radicals into H2O2.