Atomic bromine is known to initiate oxidation of gaseous elemental mercury (Hg(0), GEM) in atmospheric mercury depletion events and is thought to be important in the marine boundary layer. Atomic bromine may also be an important oxidant of GEM in the global troposphere. Initiation occurs via:Hg + Br� + M ? �HgBr + MQuantum calculations previously published by us suggested that a wide range of radicals (Y) can react with HgBr to form stable BrHgY compounds. These Y include NO2, ClO, BrO, and HO2. We have refined out previous computational work and confirmed our original results. A new finding is that the BrHgNO2 species may isomerize to BrHgONO, as shown below. Figure 1. <img src='https://acs-archive-assets2.s3.amazonaws.com/241nm/uploads/71050_figure1.jpg' alt='' />We are starting to investigate the reactions of �HgBr with other (closed shell) trace gases in the atmosphere. We find that the BrHg-H bond is too weak to allow �HgBr to abstract hydrogen atoms from e.g., alkanes.

Mercury oxidation initiated by atomic bromine: Chemistry of the HgBr radical

248th National Meeting (2014)

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