An FTIR study of the mechanism for the reaction HO + CH₃SCH₃

Product studies were made using the Fourier transform infrared method in the uv (300–400‐nm) photolysis of mixtures containing CH 3 SCH 3 , C 2 H 5 ONO, and NO in ppm concentrations in 700 torr of O 2 –N 2 diluent. Methyl thionitrite, CH 3 SNO, arising from the reaction CH 3 S + NO, was detected as an intermediate product. In addition, the yields of the major sulfur‐containing products SO 2 and CH 3 SO 3 H coincided with those of the oxidation of the CH 3 S radicals generated directly by the photodissociation of CH 3 SNO. The formation of CH 3 S in the HO‐initiated oxidation of CH 3 SCH 3 in the presence of NO suggests a reaction scheme involving the H‐abstraction reaction HO + CH 3 SCH 3 → CH 3 SCH 2 + H 2 O as the primary step.