Experimental detection of hydrogen trioxide

Hydrogen trioxide (HO3) has long been postulated as a key intermediate in important atmospheric processes but has proved difficult to detect. The molecule was unequivocally detected in experiments based on neutralization-reionization and neutralization-reionization/collisionally activated dissociation mass spectrometry, using protonated ozone (HO3+) as the charged precursor. Hydrogen trioxide is a relatively stable species and has a H-O-O-O connectivity and a lifetime exceeding 10(-6) seconds at ambient temperature.