Nitrogen dioxide nitrous acid production

Much experimental evidence established that the reaction occurs by a free-radical mechanism164 173 similar to that suggested above [Eqs. (10.26)—(10.28)] for liquid-phase nitration. The nitrous acid produced during the transformation is unstable under the reaction conditions and decomposes to yield nitric oxide, which also participates in nitration, although less effectively. It was found that nitric acid and nitrogen dioxide yield identical products but that the former gives better yields and higher rates.172... 

Pryor, W.A. and Lightsey, J.W. 1981. Mechanisms of nitrogen dioxide reactions Initiation of lipid peroxidation and the production of nitrous acid. Science 214 435 -37. 

Photolytic. Major products reported from the photooxidation of butane with nitrogen oxides under atmospheric conditions were acetaldehyde, formaldehyde, and 2-butanone. Minor products included peroxyacyl nitrates and methyl, ethyl and propyl nitrates, carbon monoxide, and carbon dioxide. Biacetyl, tert-butyl nitrate, ethanol, and acetone were reported as trace products (Altshuller, 1983 Bufalini et al, 1971). The amount of sec-butyl nitrate formed was about twice that of n-butyl nitrate. 2-Butanone was the major photooxidation product with a yield of 37% (Evmorfopoulos and Glavas, 1998). Irradiation of butane in the presence of chlorine yielded carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, hydroperoxides, peroxyacid, and other carbonyl compounds (Hanst and Gay, 1983). Nitrous acid vapor and butane in a smog chamber were irradiated with UV light. Major oxidation products identified included 2-butanone, acetaldehyde, and butanal. Minor products included peroxyacetyl nitrate, methyl nitrate, and unidentified compounds (Cox et al., 1981). 

Photolytic. Methyl vinyl ketone and methacrolein were reported as major photooxidation products for the reaction of 2-methyl-l,3-butadiene with OH radicals. Formaldehyde, nitrogen dioxide, nitric oxide, and HO2 were reported as minor products (Lloyd et al, 1983). Synthetic air containing gaseous nitrous acid and exposed to artificial sunlight (X = 300-450 nm) photo-oxidized 2-methyl-1,3-butadiene into formaldehyde, methyl nitrate, peroxyacetal nitrate, and a compound tentatively identified as methyl vinyl ketone (Cox et al, 1980). 

Pryor, W. A., and J. W. Lightsey, Mechanisms of Nitrogen Dioxide Reactions Initiation of Lipid Peroxidation and the Production of Nitrous Acid, Science, 214, 435-437 (1981). 

At low acid concentrations, nitric oxide tends to form. This evidently may attack nitrosophenol to form diazonium compounds directly. The diazonium salts, in turn, may couple with unreacted phenol to give colored products. Nitrous acid may also produce nitrophenols from phenols. The mechanism of this reaction may involve oxidation of initially formed nitrosophenols, homolytic attack by nitrogen dioxide, or nucleophilic attack by nitrite ions [1]. 

A study of the kinetics of the decomposition of ammonium perchlorate has been made by Bircumshaw and Newman [5]. The gaseous products, up to a temperature of 300°C, were found to be oxygen, chlorine, chlorine dioxide, nitrous oxide, nitrogen tetroxide, chlorine dioxide, hydrochloric acid, perchloric acid and water. The total volume of oxygen and nitrogen produced by unit weight of the solid showed practically no variation up to about 300°C. 

Plate I Red product acid (60% wt.) is withdrawn from this plate at 11 784 kg/hour. Dissolved contents include 1.623 kg of nitrogen monoxide and 115.474 kg of nitrogen dioxide (ignoring dissolved nitrous gas impurities). 

When oxides of nitrogen come in contact with water, both nitrous and nitric acids are formed (18) (Table IV). Toxic reactions may result from pH decrease. Other toxic reactions may be a consequence of deamination reactions with amino acids and nucleic acid bases. Another consideration is the reactions of oxides of nitrogen with double bonds (Table IV). The cis-trans isomerization of oleic acid exposed to nitrous acid has been reported (19). Furthermore, the reaction of nitrogen dioxide with unsaturated compounds has resulted in the formation of both transient and stable free radical products (20, 21) (Table V). A further possibility has been raised in that nitrite can react with secondary amines to form nitrosamines which have carcinogenic properties (22). Thus, the possible modes of toxicity for oxides of nitrogen are numerous and are not exhausted by this short list. 

This process produces only very small concentrations of H+ ions in the rainwater. However, gases such as N02 and S02, which are by-products of energy use, can produce significantly higher H+ concentrations. Nitrogen dioxide reacts with water to give a mixture of nitrous acid and nitric acid ... 

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