Mechanisms of Formation of Atmospheric Nitrous Oxide

该奖项支持加州大学圣地亚哥分校化学系的William C.Trogler博士和Mark H.Thiemens博士对在环境中导致一氧化二氮产生的反应的研究。该项目由化学部无机、生物无机和有机金属化学项目和大气科学部大气化学项目共同资助。这项研究的目的是帮助解决全球一氧化二氮预算以及观察到的一氧化二氮排放及其同位素组成的变化。将研究大气碳气溶胶表面作为一氧化二氮形成催化剂的作用，以及形成一氧化二氮的基本化学反应的机理和电化学研究。在所有实验中，将确定氮和氧重原子同位素效应作为反应机理的可能指示器，并与现有的大气一氧化二氮同位素数据进行比较。一氧化二氮是平流层一氧化氮的来源，也是臭氧的重要汇，它还可能导致温室气体变暖，因为它有很高的升温潜力。作为工业发展的副产品，其在大气中的寿命很长，了解其来源很重要，但它们并不完全清楚。在这项研究中，将研究一氧化二氮的一些潜在来源。

This award supports research by Dr. William C. Trogler and Dr. Mark H. Thiemens, both of the Chemistry Department, University of California, San Diego, for investigation of reactions leading to the production of nitrous oxide in the environment. The project is jointly funded by the Inorganic, Bioinorganic, and Organometallic Chemistry Program, Chemistry Division, and the Atmospheric Chemistry Program, Division of Atmospheric Sciences. The goal of the research is to help resolve the global nitrous oxide budget and the variation observed in nitrous oxide emissions and its isotopic composition. The role of atmospheric carbon aerosol surfaces as catalysts for nitrous oxide formation will be investigated, as will mechanistic and electrochemical studies of fundamental chemical reactions that form nitrous oxide. In all the experiments, nitrogen and oxygen heavy atom isotope effects will be determined as a possible indictor of reaction mechanism and for comparison to existing isotopic data for atmospheric nitrous oxide. Nitrous oxide is a source of stratospheric nitric oxide, an important sink for ozone, and it can also contribute to greenhouse warming because of its high warming potential. As a byproduct of industrial development with a long lifetime in the atmosphere, it is important to understand its sources but they are not completely known. In this research, some potential sources for nitrous oxide will be examined.