Gas-phase rate constants for the reaction of NO3 radicals with furan and methyl-substituted furans

Rate coefficients have been determined for the gas-phase reaction of NO3 radicals with furan and methyl-substituted furans at T = 295 ± 2 K in a flow system in the pressure range 6.8–200 mbar using N2 as carrier gas. The rate constants obtained with the relative rate method are the following (in cm3 molecule−1 s−1 units): furan, (9.98 ± 0.62) × 10−13; 2-methylfuran, (2.57 ± 0.17) × 10−11; 3-methylfuran, (2.86 ± 0.06) × 10−11; 2,5-dimethylfuran (5.78 ± 0.34) × 10−11; 2,3-dimethylfuran, (5.83 ± 0.46) × 10−11; 2,4-dimethylfuran, (5.72 ± 0.46) × 10−11; tetramethylfuran (1.184 ± 0.16) × 10−10. An assessment of the tropospheric lifetimes for furan and methyl-substituted furans with regard to NO3- and OH-attack shows thatthe NO3-initiated degradation of the considered species represents an important sink.