Experimental determination of the HO-Br bond energy and its relevance to the stratospheric and tropospheric ozone cycles

The HO-Br bond energy (and consequently the heat of formation of HOBr) has been determined experimentally for the first time. HOBr can be photolyzed in the stratosphere to form Br and OH, both of which can react with ozone, and destroy it. Previous calculations modeling stratospheric reactions have assumed a lower stability than that found in the current research. The stability of HOBr was determined by measuring the threshold for formation of Br{sup +} from this molecule, using photoionization mass spectrometry. Their work was supported by the Division of Chemical Sciences, Office of Basic Energy Sciences