The UV photolysis of Cl(2)O(2) (dichlorine peroxide) is a key step in the catalytic destruction of polar stratospheric ozone. In this study, the gas-phase UV absorption spectrum of Cl(2)O(2) was measured using diode array spectroscopy and absolute cross sections, sigma, are reported for the wavelength range 200-420 nm. Pulsed laser photolysis of Cl(2)O at 248 nm or Cl(2)/Cl(2)O mixtures at 351 nm at low temperature (200-228 K) and high pressure (approximately 700 Torr, He) was used to produce ClO radicals and subsequently Cl(2)O(2) via the termolecular ClO self-reaction. The Cl(2)O(2) spectrum was obtained from spectra recorded following the completion of the gas-phase ClO radical chemistry. The spectral analysis used observed isosbestic points at 271, 312.9, and 408.5 nm combined with reaction stoichiometry and chlorine mass balance to determine the Cl(2)O(2) spectrum. The Cl(2)O(2) UV absorption spectrum peaks at 244.5 nm with a cross section of 7.6(-0.5)(+0.8) x 10(-18) cm(2) molecule(-1) where the quoted error limits are 2sigma and include estimated systematic errors. The Cl(2)O(2) absorption cross sections obtained for wavelengths in the range 300-420 nm are in good agreement with the Cl(2)O(2) spectrum reported previously by Burkholder et al. (J. Phys. Chem. A 1990, 94, 687) and significantly higher than the values reported by Pope et al. (J. Phys. Chem. A 2007, 111, 4322). A possible explanation for the discrepancy in the Cl(2)O(2) cross section values with the Pope et al. study is discussed. Representative, atmospheric photolysis rate coefficients are calculated and a range of uncertainty estimated based on the determination of sigma(Cl(2)O(2))(lambda) in this work. Although improvements in our fundamental understanding of the photochemistry of Cl(2)O(2) are still desired, this work indicates that major revisions in current atmospheric chemical mechanisms are not required to simulate observed polar ozone depletion.

Rate coefficients, k, for the gas-phase reaction of the OH radical with (CH(3))(3)COOH (tert-butyl hydroperoxide) were measured as a function of temperature (206-375 K) and pressure (25-200 Torr (He, N(2))). Rate coefficients were measured under pseudo-first-order conditions using pulsed laser photolysis to produce OH and laser induced fluorescence (PLP-LIF) to measure the OH temporal profile. Two independent methods were used to determine the gas-phase infrared cross sections of (CH(3))(3)COOH, absolute pressure and chemical titration, that were used to determine the (CH(3))(3)COOH concentration in the LIF reactor. The temperature dependence of the rate coefficients is described, within the measurement precision, by the Arrhenius expression k(1)(T) = (7.0 ± 1.0) × 10(-13) exp[(485 ± 20)/T] cm(3) molecule(-1) s(-1) where k(1)(296 K) was measured to be (3.58 ± 0.54) × 10(-12) cm(3) molecule(-1) s(-1). The uncertainties are 2σ (95% confidence level) and include estimated systematic errors. UV absorption cross sections of (CH(3))(3)COOH were determined at 185, 214, 228, and 254 nm and over the wavelength range 210-300 nm. The OH quantum yield following the 248 nm pulsed laser photolysis of (CH(3))(3)COOH was measured relative to the OH quantum yields of H(2)O(2) and HNO(3) using PLP-LIF and found to be near unity.