Long recognized as an important process in the degradation of unsaturated fats and oils, wine, and components of biological organisms, and in low temperature combustion processes, the role of autoxidation in the conversion of atmospheric chemicals is only just beginning to be understood. Here, recent experimental and theoretical work on the rate limiting step of autoxidation, namely, the H-shift isomerization of peroxy radicals (RO2 ? QOOH), for several systems relevant to atmospheric chemistry will be highlighted. Trends in the peroxy radical isomerization rates with functionalization will be discussed. The potential impact of autoxidation toward the gas- and condensed-phase organic chemistry of the atmosphere will be hypothesized, and directions for future work to test this hypothesis will be suggested.

Autoxidation in atmospheric chemistry

248th National Meeting (2014)

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