We measure the UV absorption spectrum of a Criegee intermediate acetaldehyde oxide, CH3CHOO, using time-resolved broadband cavity-enhanced spectrometry. We separate the spectra of the two possible structural isomers, syn- and anti-CH3CHOO, based on their different reactivity towards H2O and SO2. Despite significant overlap, the spectra of the two conformers are sufficiently separated to allow direct conformer-specific probing of the reactions of CH3CHOO with other important tropospheric species.

Rate coefficients are directly determined for the reactions of the Criegee intermediates (CI) CH2OO and CH3CHOO with the two simplest carboxylic acids, formic acid (HCOOH) and acetic acid (CH3COOH), employing two complementary techniques: multiplexed photoionization mass spectrometry and cavity-enhanced broadband ultraviolet absorption spectroscopy. The measured rate coefficients are in excess of 1×10−10 cm3 s−1, several orders of magnitude larger than those suggested from many previous alkene ozonolysis experiments and assumed in atmospheric modeling studies. These results suggest that the reaction with carboxylic acids is a substantially more important loss process for CIs than is presently assumed. Implementing these rate coefficients in global atmospheric models shows that reactions between CI and organic acids make a substantial contribution to removal of these acids in terrestrial equatorial areas and in other regions where high CI concentrations occur such as high northern latitudes, and implies that sources of acids in these areas are larger than previously recognized.

We present the time-resolved UV absorption spectrum of the B̃ (1A′) ← X̃ (1A′) electronic transition of formaldehyde oxide, CH2OO, produced by the reaction of CH2I radicals with O2. In contrast to its UV photodissociation action spectrum, the absorption spectrum of formaldehyde oxide extends to longer wavelengths and exhibits resolved vibrational structure on its low-energy side. Chemical kinetics measurements of its reactivity establish the identity of the absorbing species as CH2OO. Separate measurements of the initial CH2I radical concentration allow a determination of the absolute absorption cross section of CH2OO, with the value at the peak of the absorption band, 355 nm, of σabs = (3.6 ± 0.9) × 10–17 cm2. The difference between the absorption and action spectra likely arises from excitation to long-lived B̃ (1A′) vibrational states that relax to lower electronic states by fluorescence or nonradiative processes, rather than by photodissociation.