Zeldovich mechanism

Zeldovich mechanism

Chemical mechanism for producing active nitrogen from molecular nitrogen in the gas phase.

The pair of reactions O + N₂ → NO + N and N + O₂ → NO + O were first proposed by Russian scientist Y. B. Zeldovich in 1947. The reactions are thought to account for much of the active nitrogen formed in hot exhaust gases from combustion sources and following the rapid heating of the air during lightning discharges.

Zeldovich, Y. B., P. Y. Sadonikov, and D. A. Frank-Kamenetskii 1947. Oxidation of nitrogen in combustion (M. Shelef, Transl.). Acad. Sci. USSR. Inst. Chem. Phys., Moscow–Leningrad..

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(Also known as odd nitrogen species.) Reactive forms of nitrogen comprising nitric oxide, NO, and nitrogen dioxide, NO₂; usually designated by [[NO_x]].
These oxides of are responsible for ozone formation in the troposphere and play a major part in ozone loss in the stratosphere. The major sources of active nitrogen in the atmosphere are combustion, soil emissions, lightning, and the reaction of nitrous oxide with excited oxygen atoms in the stratosphere.