Trinitrogen

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Trinitrogen
Trinitrogen linear.png
Trinitrogen cyclic.png
Trinitrogen-linear-3D-vdW.png
Names
Other names
Azide radical

Triazirene (cyclic)

Triazadienyl
Identifiers
3D model (JSmol)
ChEBI
ChemSpider
770
PubChem CID
  • InChI=1S/N3/c1-3-2
    Key: DUAJIKVIRGATIW-UHFFFAOYSA-N
  • cyclic:InChI=1S/N3/c1-2-3-1
    Key: RLXSTAGCZQYHDL-UHFFFAOYSA-N
  • linear:[N-]=[N+]=[N]
  • cyclic:N1=N[N]1
Properties
N3
Molar mass 42.021 g·mol−1
Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa).

Trinitrogen also known as the azide radical is an unstable molecule composed of three nitrogen atoms. Two arrangements are known: a linear form with double bonds and charge transfer, and a cyclic form. Both forms are highly unstable, though the linear form is the more stable of the two. [1] More-stable derivatives exist, such as when it acts as a ligand, and it may participate in azido nitration, which is a reaction between sodium azide and ammonium cerium nitrate. [2] [3]

The linear form of N3 was discovered in 1956 by B. A. Thrush [4] by photolysis of hydrogen azide. [5] As a linear and symmetric molecule, it has D∞h symmetry, with a nitrogen–nitrogen bond length averaging 1.8115 Å. The first excited electronic state, A2Σu, is 4.56 eV above the ground state. [1]

The cyclic form was identified in 2003 by N. Hansen and A. M. Wodtke using ultraviolet photolysis of chlorine azide. Although the reaction yielded mostly the linear form, about 20% of the molecules were cyclic. [4] [1] The ring has C2v symmetry [1] —an isosceles triangle—in contrast to the linear form that has equal N–N bond-lengths.

Related Research Articles

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Nitrogen is a chemical element; it has symbol N and atomic number 7. Nitrogen is a nonmetal and the lightest member of group 15 of the periodic table, often called the pnictogens. It is a common element in the universe, estimated at seventh in total abundance in the Milky Way and the Solar System. At standard temperature and pressure, two atoms of the element bond to form N2, a colorless and odorless diatomic gas. N2 forms about 78% of Earth's atmosphere, making it the most abundant chemical species in air. Because of the volatility of nitrogen compounds, nitrogen is relatively rare in the solid parts of the Earth.

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

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In chemistry, azide is a linear, polyatomic anion with the formula N−3 and structure N=N+=N. It is the conjugate base of hydrazoic acid HN3. Organic azides are organic compounds with the formula RN3, containing the azide functional group. The dominant application of azides is as a propellant in air bags.

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

Dinitrogen pentoxide is the chemical compound with the formula N2O5. It is one of the binary nitrogen oxides, a family of compounds that only contain nitrogen and oxygen. It exists as colourless crystals that sublime slightly above room temperature, yielding a colorless gas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Actinometer</span> Instrument for measuring thermal radiation

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

Sodium azide is an inorganic compound with the formula NaN3. This colorless salt is the gas-forming component in some car airbag systems. It is used for the preparation of other azide compounds. It is an ionic substance, is highly soluble in water, and is acutely poisonous.

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<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.

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Nitrogen trioxide or nitrate radical is an oxide of nitrogen with formula NO
3
, consisting of three oxygen atoms covalently bound to a nitrogen atom. This highly unstable blue compound has not been isolated in pure form, but can be generated and observed as a short-lived component of gas, liquid, or solid systems.

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

Methyl azide is an organic compound with the formula CH3N3. It is a white solid and it is the simplest organic azide.

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

Bromine azide is an explosive inorganic compound with the formula BrN3. It has been described as a crystal or a red liquid at room temperature. It is extremely sensitive to small variations in temperature and pressure, with explosions occurring at Δp ≥ 0.05 Torr and also upon crystallization, thus extreme caution must be observed when working with this chemical.

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

Fluorine azide or triazadienyl fluoride is a yellow green gas composed of nitrogen and fluorine with formula FN3. Its properties resemble those of ClN3, BrN3, and IN3. The bond between the fluorine atom and the nitrogen is very weak, leading to this substance being very unstable and prone to explosion. Calculations show the F–N–N angle to be around 102° with a straight line of 3 nitrogen atoms.

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

Chlorine peroxide is a molecular compound with formula ClOOCl. Chemically, it is a dimer of the chlorine monoxide radical (ClO·). It is important in the formation of the ozone hole. Chlorine peroxide catalytically converts ozone into oxygen when it is irradiated by ultraviolet light.

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

Boron triazide, also known as triazidoborane, is a thermally unstable compound of boron and nitrogen with a nitrogen content of 92.1 %. Formally, it is the triazido derivative of borane and is a covalent inorganic azide. The high-energy compound, which has the propensity to undergo spontaneous explosive decomposition, was first described in 1954 by Egon Wiberg and Horst Michaud of the University of Munich.

Cobalt compounds are chemical compounds formed by cobalt with other elements.

Homoleptic azido compounds are chemical compounds in which the only anion or ligand is the azide group, -N3. The breadth of homoleptic azide compounds spans nearly the entire periodic table. With rare exceptions azido compounds are highly shock sensitive and need to be handled with the upmost caution. Binary azide compounds can take on several different structures including discrete compounds, or one- two, and three-dimensional nets, leading some to dub them as "polyazides". Reactivity studies of azide compounds are relatively limited due to how sensitive they can be. The sensitivity of these compounds tends to be correlated with the amount of ionic or covalent character the azide-element bond has, with ionic character being far more stable than covalent character. Therefore, compounds such as silver or sodium azide – which have strong ionic character – tend to possess more synthetic utility than their covalent counterparts. A few other notable exceptions include polymeric networks which possess unique magnetic properties, group 13 azides which unlike most other azides decompose to nitride compounds (important materials for semiconductors), other limited uses as synthetic reagents for the transfer of azide groups, or for research into high-energy-density matter.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Hansen, N.; Wodtke, A. M. (December 2003). "Velocity Map Ion Imaging of Chlorine Azide Photolysis: Evidence for Photolytic Production of Cyclic-N3". The Journal of Physical Chemistry A. 107 (49): 10608–10614. Bibcode:2003JPCA..10710608H. doi:10.1021/jp0303319.
  2. Schlegel, H. Bernhard; Skancke, Anne (August 1993). "Thermochemistry, energy comparisons, and conformational analysis of hydrazine, triazane, and triaminoammonia". Journal of the American Chemical Society. 115 (16): 7465–7471. doi:10.1021/ja00069a053.
  3. Kuchitsu, K, ed. (1998). Inorganic Molecules. Landolt-Börnstein - Group II Molecules and Radicals. Vol. 25A. doi:10.1007/b59072. ISBN   3-540-61713-2.
  4. 1 2 Jin, Lin; Yu, Xue-fang; Pang, Jing-lin; Zhang, Shao-wen; Ding, Yi-hong (30 July 2009). "Theoretical Study on the Reactions of the Cyclic Trinitrogen Radical toward Oxygen and Water". The Journal of Physical Chemistry A. 113 (30): 8500–8505. Bibcode:2009JPCA..113.8500J. doi:10.1021/jp810741v. PMID   19719307.
  5. Thrush, B. A. (10 April 1956). "The Detection of Free Radicals in the High Intensity Photolysis of Hydrogen Azide". Proceedings of the Royal Society A: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences. 235 (1200): 143–147. Bibcode:1956RSPSA.235..143T. doi:10.1098/rspa.1956.0071. S2CID   95714517.