Carbon Nanoparticle Oxidation by NO₂ and O₂: Chemical Kinetics and Reaction Pathways

Carbon nanoparticle interactions with gases are central to many environmental and technical processes, but the underlying reaction kinetics and mechanisms are not well understood. Here, we investigate the oxidation and gasification of carbon nanoparticles by NO₂ and O₂ under combustion exhaust conditions. We build on a comprehensive experimental data set and use a kinetic multilayer model (KM-GAP-CARBON) to trace the uptake and release of gas molecules alongside the temporal evolution of particle size and surface composition. The experimental results are captured by a model mechanism that involves different types of carbon atoms (edge/plane-like) and the formation of a reactive oxygen intermediate (activated CO complex) as the rate-limiting step. A transition between distinct chemical regimes driven by NO₂ at lower temperatures and O₂ at higher temperatures is reflected by an increase in the observable activation energy from $$ 60 kJ/mol to $$ 130 kJ/mol. We derive energy profiles for three alternative reaction pathways that involve uni- or bimolecular decomposition of reactive oxygen intermediates.