Determination of the Rate Constant for the Reaction O + NO → N + O₂

Abstract

Abstract The rate constant for the reaction was determined in the temperature range 2500-4100 °K using a shock-tube technique. Mixtures of NO and N2O diluted in argon or krypton were heated by incident shock waves, and the infrared emission from the fundamental vibration-rotation band of NO at 5.3 microns was used to monitor the time-varying NO concentration. The N2O served as a quick source of oxygen atoms so that the effects of other reactions in relating k1 to the measured rate-of-removal of NO was minimal. The data are fit closely by the expression k1 = 2.36 × 102T exp(−38,640/RT) cm2/mole-sec, which also provides a good fit to previous data at higher and lower temperatures.