Theoretical study of the photodissociation of HOCl

A study of the UV photodissociation of hypochlorous acid is conducted on the basis of ab initio SCF-Cl calculations. These calculations show that HOCl has only a single peak in the UV photoabsorption spectrum at 220 nm. This result implies that HOCl would have a long lifetime for photodissociation if it were to be formed in the stratosphere. The photodissociation products of HOCl have been identified as Cl+OH, based on an examination of the topographies of the excited electronic state potential energy surfaces. The results of this study indicate that HOCl could be a significant reservoir for stratospheric chlorine.