I've found that a reason for people to oppose supersonic aeroplanes was the $\ce{NO_{$x$}}$ gases it released would do harm to the ozone layer. So what is the mechanism of this?
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The mechanism is rather complex, I discussed some of it already for chlorine. In short, it basically removes the oxygen radicals from the ozone cycle: $$\ce{O2 ->[h\nu] O + O} \ \ce{O + O2 ->[
] O3}\ \ce{O3 ->[h\nu] O + O2}$$ – Martin - マーチン Mar 03 '16 at 11:23 -
Don't UV and cosmic radiation also produce NOx? – Karl Jun 01 '16 at 20:14
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According to Introduction to Atmospheric Chemistry, by Daniel J. Jacob, Princeton University Press, 1999,Chapter 10,
An important component of aircraft exhaust is nitric oxide ($\ce{NO}$) formed by oxidation of atmospheric $\ce{N2}$ at the high temperatures of the aircraft engine. In the stratosphere $\ce{NO}$ reacts rapidly with $\ce{O3}$ to produce $\ce{NO2}$, which then photolyzes:
$$\ce{NO + O3 -> NO2 + O2}$$ $$\ce{NO2 + $h\nu$ -> NO + O}$$
Note that there is no net consumption of $\ce{NO_x}$, thus it is able to act as a catalyst such that a single $\ce{NO_x}$ molecule can destroy many molecules of ozone by these reactions.
Nilay Ghosh
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