A leading cause of polluted air in urban atmospheres is the interaction of sunlight with an air mixture containing nitrogen oxides and reactive hydrocarbons. Several classes of hydrocarbons are highly reactive hydrocarbons; one is the alkenes, the subject of "The Mechanisms of the Atmospheric Oxidation of the Alkenes" (Calvert, et al., OUP, 2000). This book, the second in a series of comprehensive studies of these compounds, will review and evaluate existing literature on the mechanisms of the aromatic hydrocarbons, which have a particularly high potential for ozone generation. The focus of the text will be on problem solving and clarifying uncertain aspects of the chemistry of these compounds.
