Reactivity of 2-ethyl-1-hexanol in the atmosphere

Abstract

Rate coefficients at room temperature for the reaction of 2-ethyl-1-hexanol with OH and NO₃ radicals and with Cl atoms have been determined in a 150 L PTFE chamber using GC-FID/SPME and FTIR as detection systems. The rate coefficients k (in units of cm³ molecule⁻¹ s⁻¹) obtained were: (1.13 ± 0.31) 10⁻¹¹ for the OH reaction, (2.93 ± 0.92) 10⁻¹⁵ for the NO₃ reaction and (1.88 ± 0.25) 10⁻¹⁰ for the Cl reaction. Despite the high concentrations of 2-ethyl-1-hexanol, especially in indoor air, this is the first kinetic study carried out to date for these reactions. The results are consistent with the expected reactivity given the chemical structure of 2-ethyl-1-hexanol. Calculated atmospheric lifetimes reveal that the dominant loss process for 2-ethyl-1-hexanol is clearly the daytime reaction with the hydroxyl radical.