Rates of the Reactions of Nitrogen Atoms with Oxygen and with Nitric Oxide

Abstract

THE reactions of nitrogen atoms with oxygen and with nitric oxide are of considerable interest, since whereas both processes (1) and (2) are exothermic : the former reaction is very slow at room temperature, while the latter is extremely rapid. Kistiakowsky and Volpi¹ obtained a value of 2 × 10¹² exp(−6200/ R.T.) cm.³ mole⁻¹sec.⁻¹ for k₁ from a mass spectrometric investigation of the reaction between nitrogen atoms and oxygen molecules in a stirred reactor between 390° and 520° K. while a value of 1.7 × 10¹³ exp(−7,500/R.T.) can be obtained from Kaufman's² work on the oxygen-sensitized decomposition of nitric oxide between 1,500° and 1,700° K. No direct determination of k₂ appears to have been reported, although values of 2 × 10¹¹ (ref. 3) and a lower limit of 5 × 10¹³ cm.³ mole⁻¹sec.⁻¹ (ref. 1) have been recorded.