Nitrogen trichloride

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Nitrogen trichloride
NCl3 dimensions.svg
Nitrogen-trichloride-3D-vdW.png
   Nitrogen, N
   Chlorine, Cl
Nitrogen trichloride.JPG
Names
Other names
Trichloramine
Agene
Nitrogen(III) chloride
Trichloroazane
Trichlorine nitride
Identifiers
3D model (JSmol)
ChEBI
ChemSpider
ECHA InfoCard 100.030.029 OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
EC Number
  • 233-045-1
1840
PubChem CID
RTECS number
  • QW974000
UNII
  • InChI=1S/Cl3N/c1-4(2)3 Yes check.svgY
    Key: QEHKBHWEUPXBCW-UHFFFAOYSA-N Yes check.svgY
  • InChI=1/Cl3N/c1-4(2)3
    Key: QEHKBHWEUPXBCW-UHFFFAOYAZ
  • ClN(Cl)Cl
Properties
NCl3
Molar mass 120.36 g·mol−1
Appearanceyellow oily liquid
Odor chlorine-like
Density 1.653 g/mL
Melting point −40 °C (−40 °F; 233 K)
Boiling point 71 °C (160 °F; 344 K)
immiscible
slowly decomposes
Solubility soluble in benzene, chloroform, CCl4, CS2, PCl3
Structure
orthorhombic (below −40 °C)
trigonal pyramidal
0.6 D
Thermochemistry
232 kJ/mol
Hazards
NFPA 704 (fire diamond)
NFPA 704.svgHealth 2: Intense or continued but not chronic exposure could cause temporary incapacitation or possible residual injury. E.g. chloroformFlammability 0: Will not burn. E.g. waterInstability 4: Readily capable of detonation or explosive decomposition at normal temperatures and pressures. E.g. nitroglycerinSpecial hazard OX: Oxidizer. E.g. potassium perchlorate
2
0
4
OX
93 °C (199 °F; 366 K)
Related compounds
Other anions
Nitrogen trifluoride
Nitrogen tribromide
Nitrogen triiodide
Other cations
Phosphorus trichloride
Arsenic trichloride
Related chloramines
Monochloramine
Dichloramine
Related compounds
Nitrosyl chloride
Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa).
X mark.svgN  verify  (what is  Yes check.svgYX mark.svgN ?)

Nitrogen trichloride, also known as trichloramine, is the chemical compound with the formula NCl3. This yellow, oily, pungent-smelling and explosive liquid is most commonly encountered as a byproduct of chemical reactions between ammonia-derivatives and chlorine (for example, in swimming pools). Alongside monochloramine and dichloramine, trichloramine is responsible for the distinctive 'chlorine smell' associated with swimming pools, where the compound is readily formed as a product from hypochlorous acid reacting with ammonia and other nitrogenous substances in the water, such as urea from urine. [1]

Contents

Preparation and structure

The compound is prepared by treatment of ammonium salts, such as sal ammoniac with a chlorine source.

Intermediates in this conversion include monochloramine and dichloramine, NH2Cl and NHCl2, respectively.

Like ammonia, NCl3 is a pyramidal molecule. The N-Cl distances are 1.76 Å, and the Cl-N-Cl angles are 107°. [2]

Reactions and uses

The chemistry of NCl3 has been well explored. [3] It is moderately polar with a dipole moment of 0.6 D. The nitrogen center is basic but much less so than ammonia. It is hydrolyzed by hot water to release ammonia and hypochlorous acid.

explodes to give and chlorine gas.

This reaction is inhibited for dilute gases.

Nitrogen trichloride can form in small amounts when public water supplies are disinfected with monochloramine, and in swimming pools by disinfecting chlorine reacting with urea in urine and sweat from bathers.

Nitrogen trichloride, trademarked as Agene, was at one time used to bleach flour, [4] but this practice was banned in the United States in 1949 due to safety concerns.

Safety

Nitrogen trichloride can irritate mucous membranes—it is a lachrymatory agent, but has never been used as such. [5] [6] The pure substance (rarely encountered) is a dangerous explosive, being sensitive to light, heat, even moderate shock, and organic compounds. Pierre Louis Dulong first prepared it in 1812, and lost several fingers and an eye in two explosions. [7] In 1813, an NCl3 explosion blinded Sir Humphry Davy temporarily, inducing him to hire Michael Faraday as a co-worker. They were both injured in another NCl3 explosion shortly thereafter. [8]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chlorine</span> Chemical element, symbol Cl and atomic number 17

Chlorine is a chemical element; it has symbol Cl and atomic number 17. The second-lightest of the halogens, it appears between fluorine and bromine in the periodic table and its properties are mostly intermediate between them. Chlorine is a yellow-green gas at room temperature. It is an extremely reactive element and a strong oxidising agent: among the elements, it has the highest electron affinity and the third-highest electronegativity on the revised Pauling scale, behind only oxygen and fluorine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sodium hypochlorite</span> Chemical compound (known in solution as bleach)

Sodium hypochlorite, commonly known in a dilute solution as (chlorine) bleach, is an alkaline inorganic chemical compound with the formula NaOCl, consisting of a sodium cation and a hypochlorite anion. It may also be viewed as the sodium salt of hypochlorous acid. The anhydrous compound is unstable and may decompose explosively. It can be crystallized as a pentahydrate NaOCl·5H
2
O
, a pale greenish-yellow solid which is not explosive and is stable if kept refrigerated.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hypochlorous acid</span> Chemical compound

Hypochlorous acid is an inorganic compound with the chemical formula ClOH, also written as HClO, HOCl, or ClHO. Its structure is H−O−Cl. It is an acid that forms when chlorine dissolves in water, and itself partially dissociates, forming hypochlorite anion, ClO. HClO and ClO are oxidizers, and the primary disinfection agents of chlorine solutions. HClO cannot be isolated from these solutions due to rapid equilibration with its precursor, chlorine.

An acidic oxide is an oxide that either produces an acidic solution upon addition to water, or acts as an acceptor of hydroxide ions effectively functioning as a Lewis acid. Acidic oxides will typically have a low pKa and may be inorganic or organic. A commonly encountered acidic oxide, carbon dioxide produces an acidic solution when dissolved.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hypochlorite</span> Ion

In chemistry, hypochlorite, or chloroxide is an anion with the chemical formula ClO. It combines with a number of cations to form hypochlorite salts. Common examples include sodium hypochlorite and calcium hypochlorite. The Cl-O distance in ClO is 1.69 Å.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dichlorine monoxide</span> Chemical compound

Dichlorine monoxide is an inorganic compound with the molecular formula Cl2O. It was first synthesised in 1834 by Antoine Jérôme Balard, who along with Gay-Lussac also determined its composition. In older literature it is often referred to as chlorine monoxide, which can be a source of confusion as that name now refers to the ClO radical.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">BCDMH</span> Chemical compound

1-Bromo-3-chloro-5,5-dimethylhydantoin is a chemical structurally related to hydantoin. It is a white crystalline compound with a slight bromine and acetone odor and is insoluble in water, but soluble in acetone.

Salt water chlorination is a process that uses dissolved salt for the chlorination of swimming pools and hot tubs. The chlorine generator uses electrolysis in the presence of dissolved salt to produce chlorine gas or its dissolved forms, hypochlorous acid and sodium hypochlorite, which are already commonly used as sanitizing agents in pools. Hydrogen is produced as byproduct too.

Monochloramine, often called chloramine, is the chemical compound with the formula NH2Cl. Together with dichloramine (NHCl2) and nitrogen trichloride (NCl3), it is one of the three chloramines of ammonia. It is a colorless liquid at its melting point of −66 °C (−87 °F), but it is usually handled as a dilute aqueous solution, in which form it is sometimes used as a disinfectant. Chloramine is too unstable to have its boiling point measured.

Chloramines refer to derivatives of ammonia and organic amines wherein one or more N−H bonds have been replaced by N−Cl bonds. Two classes of compounds are considered: inorganic chloramines and organic chloramines. Chloramines are the most widely used members of the halamines.

The chemical element nitrogen is one of the most abundant elements in the universe and can form many compounds. It can take several oxidation states; but the most common oxidation states are -3 and +3. Nitrogen can form nitride and nitrate ions. It also forms a part of nitric acid and nitrate salts. Nitrogen compounds also have an important role in organic chemistry, as nitrogen is part of proteins, amino acids and adenosine triphosphate.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dichloramine</span> Chemical compound

Dichloramine is a reactive inorganic compound with the chemical formula NHCl2. It is one of the three chloramines of ammonia, the others being monochloramine and nitrogen trichloride. This yellow gas is unstable and reacts with many materials. It is formed by a reaction between ammonia and chlorine or sodium hypochlorite. It is a byproduct formed during the synthesis of monochloramine and nitrogen trichloride.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Halazone</span> Chemical compound

Halazone is a chemical compound whose formula can be written as either C
7
H
5
Cl
2
NO
4
S
or (HOOC)(C
6
H
4
)(SO
2
)(NCl
2
)
. It has been widely used to disinfect drinking water.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Quaternary compound</span> Chemical compound made of four elements

In chemistry, a quaternary compound is a compound consisting of exactly four chemical elements.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Water chlorination</span> Chorination of water

Water chlorination is the process of adding chlorine or chlorine compounds such as sodium hypochlorite to water. This method is used to kill bacteria, viruses and other microbes in water. In particular, chlorination is used to prevent the spread of waterborne diseases such as cholera, dysentery, and typhoid.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tris(trimethylsilyl)amine</span> Chemical compound

Tris(trimethylsilyl)amine is the simplest tris(trialkylsilyl)amine which are having the general formula (R3Si)3N, in which all three hydrogen atoms of the ammonia are replaced by trimethylsilyl groups (-Si(CH3)3). Tris(trimethylsilyl)amine has been for years in the center of scientific interest as a stable intermediate in chemical nitrogen fixation (i. e. the conversion of atmospheric nitrogen N2 into organic substrates under normal conditions).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chlorine-releasing compounds</span>

Chlorine-releasing compounds, also known as chlorine base compounds, is jargon to describe certain chlorine-containing substances that are used as disinfectants and bleaches. They include the following chemicals: sodium hypochlorite, chloramine, halazone, and sodium dichloroisocyanurate. They are widely used to disinfect water and medical equipment, and surface areas as well as bleaching materials such as cloth. The presence of organic matter can make them less effective as disinfectants. They come as a liquid solution, or as a powder that is mixed with water before use.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vanadium(V) chloride chlorimide</span> Chemical compound

Vanadium (V) chloride chlorimide is a chemical compound containing vanadium in a +5 oxidation state bound to three chlorine atoms and with a double bond to a chlorimide group (=NCl). It has formula VNCl4. This can be also considered as a chloroiminato complex.

A chloride nitride is a mixed anion compound containing both chloride (Cl) and nitride ions (N3−). Another name is metallochloronitrides. They are a subclass of halide nitrides or pnictide halides.

Carbide chlorides are mixed anion compounds containing chloride anions and anions consisting entirely of carbon. In these compounds there is no bond between chlorine and carbon. But there is a bond between a metal and carbon. Many of these compounds are cluster compounds, in which metal atoms encase a carbon core, with chlorine atoms surrounding the cluster. The chlorine may be shared between clusters to form polymers or layers. Most carbide chloride compounds contain rare earth elements. Some are known from group 4 elements. The hexatungsten carbon cluster can be oxidised and reduced, and so have different numbers of chlorine atoms included.

References

  1. "Chlorine Chemistry - Chlorine Compound of the Month: Chloramines: Understanding "Pool Smell"". American Chemistry Council . Retrieved 17 December 2019.
  2. Holleman, A. F.; Wiberg, E. (2001). Inorganic Chemistry. San Diego: Academic Press. ISBN   978-0-12-352651-9.
  3. Greenwood, Norman N.; Earnshaw, Alan (1997). Chemistry of the Elements (2nd ed.). Butterworth-Heinemann. ISBN   978-0-08-037941-8.
  4. Hawthorn, J.; Todd, J. P. (1955). "Some effects of oxygen on the mixing of bread doughs". Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture. 6 (9): 501–511. Bibcode:1955JSFA....6..501H. doi:10.1002/jsfa.2740060906.
  5. White, G. C. (1999). The Handbook of Chlorination and Alternative Disinfectants (4th ed.). Wiley. p. 322. ISBN   978-0-471-29207-4.
  6. "Health Hazard Evaluation Report: Investigation of Employee Symptoms at an Indoor Water Park" (PDF). NIOSH ENews. 6 (4). August 2008. HETA 2007-0163-3062.
  7. Thénard J. L.; Berthollet C. L. (1813). "Report on the work of Pierre Louis Dulong". Annales de Chimie et de Physique . 86 (6): 37–43.
  8. Thomas, J.M. (1991). Michael Faraday and The Royal Institution: The Genius of Man and Place (PBK). CRC Press. p. 17. ISBN   978-0-7503-0145-9.

Further reading