Nitrogen nitrous acid

The oxidation number of nitrogen in nitrous acid is +3. Since this value is between the extremes of a +5 and -3 for nitrogen, nitrous acid can be either oxidized or reduced. Nitrous acid can oxidize HI to I2 (in other words HI acts as a reducing agent). 

Oxidized nitrogen. Nitrous acid readily reduces Ce to Ce "". It quickly oxidizes U, however, to U02 releasing NO. 

Oxidized nitrogen. Nitrous acid seems not to act on H2C2O4. 

Reduced nitrogen. Nitrous acid and N2Hs, diazanium ion, generate HN3, triaza-diene, but also NHt, N2 and N2O ... 

Oxidized nitrogen. Nitrous acid and HCl form chiefly NO and CI2. Nitric acid yields NO2CI and CI2, or NOCl and CI2, or NO2 and CI2, depending on conditions. With excess HCl the main reaction is ... 

Nitrous acid is unstable, decomposing to give nitric acid and evolving nitrogen oxide ... 

In addition to General Reactions i and 2, all amides react with nitrous acid evolving nitrogen ... 

The evolution of nitrogen is not always entirely satisfactory as a test owing to the possible evolution of gaseous decomposition products of nitrous acid itself. The test may be performed as follows. To i ml. of chilled concentrated sodium nitrite solution add i ml. of dilute acetic acid. Allow any preliminary evolution of gas to subside, and then add the mixed solution to a cold aqueous solution (or suspension) of the amide note the brisk effervescence. 

React with nitrous acid to give nitrogen and the corresponding hydroxy-carboxylic acid. 

Action of nitrous acid. To a few ml. of 20% NaNO, solution add a few drops of cold dil. acetic acid. Pour the mixture into a cold aqueous solution of glycine, and note the brisk evolution of nitrogen. NH CH COOH -h HNO2 = HO CH2COOH + N + H O. Owing to the insolubility of cystine in acetic acid use a suspension in dU. acetic acid for this test. In each case care must be taken not to confuse the evolution of nitrogen with any possible thermal decomposition of the nitrous acid cf. footnote, p, 360). 

Another important method of following protein hydrolysis is that due to Van Slyke, and consists in estimating the free amino groups liberated by treatment with nitrous acid, whereby gaseous nitrogen is evolved and measured in a special apparatus. 

They are readily hydrolysed by boiling dilute hydrochloric acid and the original amine can be recovered by neutralisation with alkali and steam distillation. Primary aliphatic amines liberate nitrogen with nitrous acid whilst tertiary amines are unaffected. 

It is advisable to add the sodium nitrite solution, particularly in preparations on a larger scale, through a separatory or dropping funnel with the tip of the stem extending well below the sui-face of the liquid tliis will prevent loss of nitrous acid by surface decomposition into oxides of nitrogen. 

An alternative method of removing the aniline is to add 30 ml. of concentrated sulphuric acid carefully to the steam distillate, cool the solution to 0-5°, and add a concentrated solution of sodium nitrite until a drop of the reaction mixture colours potassium iodide - starch paper a deep blue instantly. As the diazotisation approaches completion, the reaction becomes slow it will therefore be necessary to teat for excess of nitrous acid after an interval of 5 minutes, stirring all the whUe. About 12 g. of sodium nitrite are usually required. The diazotised solution is then heated on a boiling water bath for an hour (or until active evolution of nitrogen ceases), treated with a solution of 60 g. of sodium hydroxide in 200 ml. of water, the mixture steam-distilled, and the quinoline isolated from the distillate by extrsM-tion with ether as above. 

Nitrosation of amines is best illustrated by examining what happens when a sec ondary amine reacts with nitrous acid The amine acts as a nucleophile attacking the nitrogen of nitrosyl cation The intermediate that is formed m the first step loses a pro ton to give an N nitroso amine as the isolated product... 

Figure 22 5 shows what happens when a typical primary alkylamine reacts with nitrous acid Because nitrogen free products result from the formation and decomposition of diazonium ions these reactions are often referred to as deamination reactions Alkyl... 

FIGURE 22 5 The diazo mum ion generated by treatment of a primary al kylamine with nitrous acid loses nitrogen to give a car bocation The isolated prod ucts are derived from the carbocation and include in this example alkenes (by loss of a proton) and an al cohol (nucleophilic capture by water)... 

Phosphine Air, boron trichloride, bromine, chlorine, nitric acid, nitrogen oxides, nitrous acid, oxygen, silver nitrate... 

Nitrosyl chloride (178), nitrosyl chloride—hydrogen fluoride (NOF -3HF, NOF -6HF) (179), nitrous acid—hydrogen fluoride solutions (180,181), or nitrogen trioxide (prepared in situ from nitric oxide and oxygen) (27) can be used in place of sodium nitrite in the dia2oti2ation step. 

Qualitative Analysis. Nitric acid may be detected by the classical brown-ring test, the copper-turnings test, the reduction of nitrate to ammonia by active metal or alloy, or the nitrogen precipitation test. Nitrous acid or nitrites interfere with most of these tests, but such interference may be eliminated by acidifying with sulfuric acid, adding ammonium sulfate crystals, and evaporating to alow volume. 

Nitroparaffias (or nitroaLkanes) are derivatives of the alkanes ia which one hydrogen or more is replaced by the electronegative nitro group, which is attached to carbon through nitrogen. The nitroparaffins are isomeric with alkyl nitrites, RONO, which are esters of nitrous acid. The nitro group ia a nitroparaffin has been shown to be symmetrical about the R—N bond axis, and may be represented as a resonance hybrid ... 

V-Alkylpipera ines and PIP can react with nitrosating agents such as nitrogen oxides, nitrites or nitrous acid to form nitrosamine derivatives (61,62). Piper a2ine dihydrochloride [142-64-3] reacts with aqueous sodium nitrite and HCl to give the dinitrosamine that melts at 156—158°C (61). 

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