Cette thèse porte sur l'étude de dégradation atmosphérique de quelques composés organiques volatils oxygénés par les principaux oxydants atmosphériques OH, Cl, et NO3. Ce travail, comporte, d'une part la détermination des spectres d'absorption UV-Visible des composés hydroxycarbonylés (Hydroxyacétone (HAC), 4-hydroxy-2-butanone (4HB), 3-hydroxy-2-butanone (3HB) et 3-methyl-3-hydoxy-2-butanone (3H3M2B) et d'autre part les mesures cinétiques de la réaction du composé HAC avec le chlore atomique et le radical nitrate. Les réactions entre 4HB et 3H2B avec les radicaux OH et le chlore atomique ont aussi été étudié. Les mesures d'absorption ont été réalisées dans la gamme de température 250 et 363 K à l'aide d'une lampe D2 couplé à un monochromateur. Les valeurs de section obtenues sont utilisées pour calculer la constante de photolyse et d'estimer les durées de vie dans la troposphère des composés étudiés. Les résultats suggèrent que la photolyse pourrait être un processus important pour ces espèces dans la troposphère. Les résultats des études cinétiques, montrent une légère variation des constantes de vitesse avec la température. Nous avons aussi étudié les composés dicétones : 2,4-pentanedione et 2,3-pentanedione. Cette étude porte sur la détermination des spectres d'absorption UV-Visible des composés dicétones et l'étude cinétique de leur réaction avec les radicaux OH en fonction de température. Pour les deux composés une variation de température de plus de 60 % est observée. Les calculs théoriques ont été effectués avec deux programmes différents. Avec logiciel Gaussian 03 nous avons réalisé une optimisation de la géométrie des minima, complexes et états de transition au niveau B3LYP/6-311G++(2d, pd). La méthode composite de haut niveau CBS-QB3 a été utilisée. Et avec le logiciel ChemRate pour les calculs cinétique, et la détermination des constantes de vitesse en phase gazeuse de la réaction étudié en fonction de la température. Les calculs des niveaux d'énergies montrent l'existence d'une étape réactionnelle où il se produit d'un complexe intermédiaire suivi d'une abstraction d'un atome d'hydrogène. / This thesis focuses on the study of atmospheric degradation of some Oxygenated Volatile Organic Compounds by major atmospheric oxidants OH, Cl, and NO3. This work comprises firstly determining the spectra of UV-Visible absorption hydroxycarbonyl compounds (hydroxyacetone (HAC), 4-hydroxy-2-butanone (4HB), 3-hydroxy-2-butanone (3HB) and 3-methyl-3-hydoxy-2-butanone (3H3M2B) and secondly measures the kinetics of the reaction of the compound HAC with the atomic chlorine and nitrate radical.Reactions between 4HB and 3H2B with OH radicals and atomic chlorine were also studied.The UV absorption cross-sections of hydroxyacetone, 3-hydroxy 2-butanone, 4-hydroxy 2-butanone and 3-hydroxy 3-methyl 2-butanone have been measured. The experiments have been carried out between 250 and 363 K using a D2 lamp coupled to a monochromator. This work provides the first UV cross-section measurements for 3-hydroxy 2-butanone, 4-hydroxy 2-butanone and 3-hydroxy 3-methyl 2-butanone. The obtained cross-section values are used to calculate the photolysis rates and to estimate the tropospheric lifetimes of the studied compounds. The results suggest that photolysis could be an important removal process for these species in the troposphere. The results of kinetic studies show a slight variation of the rate constants with temperature.We also studied the diketones compounds: 2,4-pentanedione and 2,3-pentanedione. This study focuses on the determination of UV-Visible absorption spectra of diketones compounds and kinetic study of their reaction with OH radicals according to temperature. For both compounds a temperature variation of more than 60% is observed.The theoretical calculations were performed with two different programs: With Gaussian 03 software we performed a geometry optimization minima complex and transition states at B3LYP/6-311G + + level (2d, pd). The high-level composite method CBS-QB3 was used. And with the software ChemRate for kinetic calculations and the determination of rate constants for gas phase reaction according to the studied temperature. Calculations of energy levels show the existence of a reaction step where there is an intermediate complex followed by abstraction of a hydrogen atom.

Highly accurate analysis for the quantification of sulphur compounds and oxygenated volatile organic compounds are crucial for the adherence of the legislation in different environmental sectors. The sulphur compounds and oxygenated volatile organic compounds measurements are challenging, due to various factors such as molecules being adsorbed on the inner surfaces of cylinders. It is therefore important to produce accurate and reliable reference gas mixtures with mole fraction at ambient levels for the air quality monitoring and field of gas sensing in South Africa. The challenges in producing sulphur compounds and oxygenated volatile organic compounds reference gas mixtures are that the overall process from gravimetric preparation steps until the comparison analysis process and the stability of mixture in the gas cylinder, results in the large measurement uncertainties. In order to produce reference gas mixtures of the highest level, three important steps are followed: purity assessment of starting material, gravimetric preparation, and verification/validation of prepared gas mixtures. The purity analysis of high purity starting materials was determined using gas chromatography coupled with various detectors and Karl Fischer for determination of moisture content in high purity chemicals. The sulphur compounds and oxygenated volatile organic compounds to be developed in this study were hydrogen sulphide, sulphur dioxide, acetone, methanol, ethanol, isopropanol, and n-butanol. These components were produced following the International Organisation for Standardisation documents at mole fraction of 10 µmol/mol for sulphur compounds and 5 µmol/mol for oxygenated volatile organic compounds. The preparation of sulphur compounds reference gas mixtures was done with a static gravimetric method using a direct method where a target component was transferred directly into the cylinder. The preparation of oxygenated volatile organic compounds used an indirect method whereby a target liquid component from high purity chemicals was transferred into a cylinder using a gas-tight syringe.The comparison between the reference gas mixtures was validated using Non-Dispersive Ultra-Violet analysers (NDUV), gas chromatograph coupled with pulsed discharge helium ionisation detector (GC-PDHID, UV fluorescence analysers for sulphur compounds and gas chromatograph coupled with flame ionisation detector (GC-FID) for the oxygenated volatile organic compounds. A multi-point calibration method was used to analyse sulphur dioxide and hydrogen sulphide on the NDUV analyser, and the single-point calibration method was used for analysis on the gas chromatography and UV fluorescence where a sample mixture is analysed against a reference mixture with a similar mole fraction. The statistical data considered during analysis included calculation of the instrument drift and percentage relative standard deviation to check measurements repeatability, reliability, and measurement uncertainty. The gravimetric results of prepared sulphur compounds at 10 µmol/mol gave a percentage relative expanded uncertainty of 0.041 % REU for hydrogen sulphide, 0.12 % REU for sulphur dioxide. The gravimetric results of prepared oxygenated volatile organic compounds at 5 µmol/mol showed a percentage relative expanded uncertainty 0.068 to 0.35 % REU for isopropanol and ethanol respectively and less than 2.4 % REU for multi component of oxygenated volatile organic compounds. Finally, the primary standard gas mixtures of sulphur compounds and oxygenated volatile organic compounds were developed with the highest metrological measurement uncertainty level of (k=2). / Environmental Sciences / M. Sc. (Environmental Sciences)