Heterogeneous reactions of HONO formation from NO2 and HNO3: a review

The photolysis of nitrous acid (HONO) is an important reaction of atmospheric chemistry due to the fact that it can be the source of OH radical in the troposphere. Despite its role as a radical precursor, the chemical mechanisms leading to HONO formation are not well understood. It is commonly assumed that HONO formation is due to both homogeneous and heterogeneous processes involving NOx (mixture of NO and NO2) in which the kinetic and mechanistic details are still under investigation. In this discussion, we would like to highlight the formation of HONO from NO2 and nitric acid (HNO3) in the presence of organic particulate. We understood that in the real case, many parameters can influence the reaction mechanism; however, this is just an effort to have a better understanding of the study of HONO formation in the atmospheric process.