Investigations into the gas-phase photolysis and OH radical kinetics of nitrocatechols: implications of intramolecular interactions on their atmospheric behaviour

The Environmental Simulation Chamber made of Quartz from the University "Alexandru Ioan Cuza" (ESC-Q-UAIC), at Iasi, Romania, was used to investigate the gas-phase reaction rate coefficients for four nitrocatechols toward OH radicals under simulated atmospheric conditions. Employing relative rate techniques at a temperature of 298 +/- 2 K and a total air pressure of 1 atm, the obtained rate coefficients (in 10(-12) cm(3) s(-1)) were as follows: k(3NCAT) = (3.41 +/- 0.37) for 3-nitrocatechol and k(5M3NCAT) = (5.55 +/- 0.45) for 5-methyl-3-nitrocatechol at 365 nm, using CH3ONO photolysis as OH radicals source and dimethyl ether and cyclohexane as reference compounds, and k(4NCAT) = (1.27 +/- 0.19) for 4-nitrocatechol and k(4M5NCAT) = (0.92 +/- 0.14) for 4-methyl-5-nitrocatechol at 254 nm using H2O2 as OH radicals source and dimethyl ether and methanol as reference compounds. The photolysis rates in the actinic region, scaled to atmospheric relevant conditions by NO2 photolysis, were evaluated for 3-nitrocatechol and 5-methyl-3-nitrocatechol: J(3NCAT) = (3.06 +/- 0.16) x 10(-4) s(-1) and J(5M3NCAT) = (2.14 +/- 0.18) x 10(-4) s(-1), respectively. The photolysis rate constants at 254 nm were measured for 4-nitrocatechol and 4-methyl-5-nitrocatechol and the obtained values are J(4NCAT) = (6.7 +/- 0.1) x 10(-5) s(-1) and J(4M5NCAT) = (3.2 +/- 0.3) x 10(-5) s(-1). Considering the obtained results, our study suggests that photolysis may be the main degradation process for 3-nitrocatechol and 5-methyl-3-nitrocatechol in the atmosphere, with a photolytic lifetime in the atmosphere of up to 2 h. Results are discussed in terms of the reactivity of the four nitrocatechols under investigation toward OH-radical-initiated oxidation and their structural features. The rate coefficient values of the nitrocatechols are also compared with those estimated from the structure-activity relationship for monocyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and assessed in relation to their gas-phase IR spectra. Additional comparison with similar compounds is also presented, underlining the implications toward possible degradation pathways and atmospheric behaviour.