| Alkyl peroxy radicals (RO2.) are examples of reactive intermediates involved in the oxidation of organic molecules. This chemistry plays a key role in combustion as well as in tropospheric chemistry. These reactions are typically very complex involving thousands of elementary steps with a corresponding number of chemical intermediates. Hence, spectroscopic diagnostic based upon fully understood spectra is a key to monitor such reactions and understand their mechanism. Over the last few years, our laboratory has investigated these peroxy radicals via their A -- X˜ electronic transition which lies in the near infrared. Due to the relative weakness of this transition, we use cavity ringdown spectroscopy (CRDS) to detect these radicals which is known to be a very sensitive technique. We have obtain high resolution jet-cooled CRDS spectra of several of these alkyl peroxy radical at a rotational temperature of 15 K. |
