Kinetics of the reaction between formyl radicals and atomic hydrogen

The kinetics of the reaction of formyl radicals with atomic hydrogen was studied as a function of temperature. The reaction was isolated for direct investigation in a tubular reactor coupled to a photoionization mass spectrometer. Rate constants were obtained for the overall reaction H + HCO ..-->.. products. They are 1.4 x 10/sup -10/ (296 K), 1.3 x 10/sup -10/ (350 K), and 0.96 x 10/sup -10/ (418 K) cm/sup 3/ molecule/sup -1/ s/sup -1/. Estimated error limits are +/- 30%. These measured rate constants are in close agreement with recently calculated values obtained by Harding and Wagner using an ab initio potential energy surface for H/sub 2/CO characterized along the reactive pathways of this reaction.