What are free radicals?

Air radicals without ions?

• I recognize that commercial air ionizers, photocatalytic oxidation (PCO), electrostatic precipitators, ozonizers and other technologies that apply energy (such as UV light or high voltage) can cause reactions in the air and bond breakages that lead to a "chemical soup" of different molecular intermediates, including both certain air ions (such as superoxide anion and likely H+) and neutrally-charged air radicals (such as hydroxyl radical). What I would like to know is if there is any reaction or physical process that would lead to the formation of neutrally-charged free radicals in the air, without also forming charged air ions simultaneously? Further is it safe to assume that the reactivity of ions that form in the air would be lower than those of free radicals (i.e. hydroxyl radical supposedly has a half-life in microseconds) - in other words, air ions are more chemically stable than gaseous air free radicals? And finally, is there any inexpensive way for a person to be able to measure the concentration of free radicals in the air?

• Answer:

  you just asked this question.....