Nitrogen

Compounds

The main hydride of nitrogen is ammonia (NH3) although hydrazine (N2H4) is also well known. Ammonia is somewhat more basic than water, and in solution forms ammonium ions (NH4+). Liquid ammonia is in fact slightly amphiprotic and forms ammonium and amide ions (NH2-); both amides and nitride (N3-) salts are known, but decompose in water. Singly and doubly substituted compounds of ammonia are called amines. Larger chains, rings and structures of nitrogen hydrides are also known but virtually unstable.

Related Topics:
Hydride - Ammonia - H - Hydrazine - Water - Ammonium - Ion - Amide - Nitride - Amine

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Other classes of nitrogen anions are azides (N3-), which are linear and isoelectronic to carbon dioxide. Another molecule of the same structure is dinitrogen monoxide (N2O), or laughing gas. This is one of a variety of oxides, the most prominent of which are nitrogen monoxide (NO) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2), which both contain an unpaired electron. The latter shows some tendency to dimerize and is an important component of smog.

Related Topics:
Anion - Azide - Isoelectronic - Carbon dioxide - Molecule - Dinitrogen monoxide - O - Nitrogen monoxide - Nitrogen dioxide - Electron - Dimerize

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The more standard oxides, dinitrogen trioxide (N2O3) and dinitrogen pentoxide (N2O5), are actually fairly unstable and explosive. The corresponding acids are nitrous (HNO2) and nitric acid (HNO3), with the corresponding salts called nitrites and nitrates. Nitric acid is one of the few acids stronger than hydronium.

Related Topics:
Dinitrogen trioxide - Dinitrogen pentoxide - Nitrous - Nitric acid - Nitrite - Nitrate - Hydronium

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