Nitrite reaction

The aqueous solution chemistiy of nitrous acid and nitrites has been extensively studied. Some reduction potentials involving these species are given in Table 11.4 (p. 434) and these form a useful summaiy of their redox reactions. Nitrites are quantitatively oxidized to nitrate by permanganate and this reaction is used in titrimetric analysis. Nitrites (and HNO2) are readily reduced to NO and N2O with SO2, to H2N2O2 with Sn(II), and to NH3 with H2S. Hydrazinium salts yield azides (p. 432) which can then react with further HNO2 ... 

Breakup as indicated by the arrows on this structure would give Fe(III)-OH, citrulline, and 0=N-H, nitroxyl. This is one electron (e + H+) more reduced than NO. Perhaps the adduct forms from Fe(ffl)-0-0. On the other hand, there is evidence that NO synthases may produce nitroxyl or nitroxyl ion NO- as the initial product.537-538 NO and other products such as NzO and N02 may arise rapidly in subsequent reactions. Nitrite is a major oxidation product of NO in tissues.5383 The chemistry of NO in biological systems is complex and not yet fully understood. See also pp. 1754,1755. 

The test may also be conducted with 2 ml of the soda extract. Carbonate, sulphite, and thiosulphate have no influence upon the reaction. Nitrite interferes, presumably owing to the oxidation of the hydrogen cyanide. In the presence of sulphide, the test is complicated by the precipitation of black iron(II) sulphide when sulphate is added to the alkaline solution. It is best to boil the solution containing the suspended iron(II) sulphide, acidify with hydrochloric acid, and boil again to expel most of the dissolved hydrogen sulphide upon adding a drop of iron(III) chloride solution, a blue precipitate is produced if cyanide is present. 

Hydroxylamine oxidoreductase was first purified by Hooper and Nason in 1965. They found that the enzyme catalyzed the reduction of horse ferricytochrome c with hydroxylamine but they found little nitrous acid formed as the result of the reaction nitrite formed was approximately 5% as much as cytochrome c reduced in 0.1 M glycine-NaOH buffer, pH 9.8. As the ammonia-oxidizing bacteria oxidize hydroxylamine to nitrite, they thought that one or more enzymes in addition to the oxidoreductase might participate in the oxidation of hydroxylamine to nitrite or additional factor(s) might be necessary for changing hydroxylamine to nitrite (Hooper et al., 1977). 

The autoxidation of hydroxylamine to nitrite also involves a radical chain process (Kono, 1978), and the reaction is carried out at high pH. The assay was originally utilized by Elstner and Heupel (1976) who initiated the autoxidation by O2 generated by the xanthine/xanthine oxidase reaction. Nitrite formation was determined colorimetrically at 530 nm by diazo coupling with a-naphthylamine and superoxide dismutase was found to inhibit end product formation. Kono (1978) developed the assay further by utilizing nitroblue tetrazolium as the... 

Estimation of fenit values (see Equation 12), as well as activation parameters for these reactions, enabled to discuss the validity of the above-mentioned inner- and outer-sphere mechanisms proposed for the catalytic efiect of N02 ion, as well as allowed to establish the role of the overall charge on the porphyrin ring and iron center on the rate and mechanism of reductive nitrosylation reactions. Nitrite concentration dependence... 

The reaction is exothermic, and multitubular reactors are employed with indirect cooling of the reactor via a heat transfer medium. A number of heat transfer media have been proposed to carry out the reactor cooling, such as hot oil circuits, water, sulfur, mercury, etc. However, the favored heat transfer medium is usually a molten heat transfer salt which is a eutectic mixture of sodium-potassium nitrate-nitrite. 

They are prepared by the action of HNO2 on aromatic amines. The amine is dissolved in excess of mineral acid and sodium nitrite is added slowly until a slight excess of HNO2 is present. The reaction is usually carried out in ice-cold solution. The solution then contains the diazonium salt of the mineral acid used, anhydrous diazonium salts of unpredictable stability may be precipitated with complex anions like PF , SnCl6 BF4 . 

Too rapid heating produces explosive decomposition. The reaction between hydroxyammonium chloride, NHjOH. Cl , and sodium nitrite gives pure dinitrogen oxide ... 

If this reaction takes place in air, the evolved nitrogen monoxide is oxidised to the dioxide and this dissolves again as in equation (9.1) hence virtually complete conversion of nitrogen dioxide to nitric acid can occur (see nitric acid, below). With alkalis, a mixture of nitrite and nitrate is formed ... 

Cobalt(II) is also easily oxidised in the presence of the nitrite ion NO2 as ligand. Thus, if excess sodium nitrite is added to a cobalt(II) salt in presence of ethanoic acid (a strong acid would decompose the nitrite, p. 244), the following reaction occurs ... 

Nitromethane, CH3NO2, the first member of the homologous series, can, however, be readily prepared by a special reaction. When equimolecular amounts of sodium nitrite and sodium monochloroacetate are heated together in aqueous solution, the chlorine in the monochloroacetate is replaced by the nitro group, and the sodium nitroacetate thus formed undergoes hydrolysis follow ed by decarboxylation ... 

The solution of the aniline hydrochloride should be cooled to 5°C., and this temperature maintained throughout the addition of the sodium nitrite solution. External cooling has to be maintained, otherwise the heat of the reaction would cause the temperature to rise, with the consequent decomposition of the diazonium chloride and the production of phenol. If, on the other hand, the temperature is reduced to about o , diazotisation becomes extremely slow and unchanged nitrous acid may remain in the solution for an impracticably long time. 

Dissolve 15 ml. (15-4 g.) of aniline in a mixture of 40 ml. of concentrated hydrochloric acid and 40 ml. of water contained in a 250 ml. conical flask. Place a thermometer in the solution, immerse the flask in a mixture of ice and water, and cool until the temperature of the stirred solution reaches 5°. Dissolve I2 5 g. of powdered sodium nitrite in 30 ml. of water, and add this solution in small quantities (about 2-3 ml. at a time) to the cold aniline hydrochloride solution, meanwhile keeping the latter well stirred by means of a thermometer. Heat is evolved by the reaction, and therefore a short interval should be allowed between consecutive additions of the sodium nitrite, partly to allow the temperature to fall again to 5°, and partly to ensure that the nitrous acid formed reacts as completely as possible with the aniline. The temperature must not be allowed to rise above 10°, otherwise appreciable decomposition of the diazonium compound to phenol will occur on the other hand, the temperature... 

Reaction of Diphenylnitrosoamine. Carry out Liebermann s Nitroso Reaction as described for phenol (p. 340), but use about 0 05 g. of the nitrosamine instead of the one crystal of sodium nitrite, and finally add only 3-4 drops of sulphuric acid. The deep greenish-blue colour is obtained, becoming red on dilution and reverting to blue on being made alkaline. 

Ltebermann Reaction To 1 minute crystal of sodium nitrite in a clean dry test-tube add 0 5 g. of phenol and heat very gently for about 20 seconds allow to cool and add twice the volume of cone. H2S04. On rotating the tube slowly in order to mix the contents, a deep green or deep blue coloration develops (some times only after i 2 minutes). Dilute cautiously with water the solution turns red. Now add an excess of NaOH solution the green or blue coloration reappears. 

The Reaction has the following limitations (i) a compound that can liberate nitrous acid in acid solution is required (e.g., a metallic nitrite or a nitroso-amine, p. 204). (2) Nitrophenols and />-substituted phenols do not give the test. (3) Among the dihydroxyphenols. only resorcinol gives a satisfactory positive test. 

Formation of nitrosaminey RgN NO. (a) From monomethylaniline. Dissolve I ml. of monomethylaniline in about 3 ml. of dil. HCl and add sodium nitrite solution gradually with shaking until the yellow oil separates out at the bottom of the solution. Transfer completely to a smdl separating-funnel, add about 20 ml. of ether and sh e. Run off the lower layer and wash the ethereal extract first with water, then with dil. NaOH solution, and finally with w ter to free it completely from nitrous acid. Evaporate the ether in a basin over a previously warmed water-bath, in a fume cupboard with no flames near. Apply Liebermann s reaction to the residual oil (p. 340). 

Mercuric nitrite reaction (Millon s reaction). Dissolve a very small crystal of tyrosine in i ml. of water, add 1-2 drops of mercuric nitrate solution, and I drop of dil. HjSO, and then boil. Cool, add i drop of sodium nitrite solution and warm again a red coloration is obtained. 

Nitromethane is more easily prepared by heating together equimolecular amounts of sodium monochloroacetate and sodium nitrite in aqueous solution sodium nitroacetate is intermediately formed and is decomposed to nitromethane and sodium bicarbonate. The latter yields sodium carbonate and carbon dioxide at the temperature of the reaction. 

The experimental conditions necessary for the preparation of a solution of a diazonium salt, diazotisation of a primary amine, are as follows. The amine is dissolved in a suitable volume of water containing 2 5-3 equivalents of hydrochloric acid (or of sulphuric acid) by the application of heat if necessary, and the solution is cooled in ice when the amine hydrochloride (or sulphate) usually crystallises. The temperature is maintained at 0-5°, an aqueous solution of sodium nitrite is added portion-wise until, after allowing 3-4 minutes for reaction, the solution gives an immediate positive test for excess of nitrous acid with an external indicator—moist potassium iodide - starch paper f ... 

To prepare the solid phenyldlazonlum chloride or sulphate, the reaction is conducted in the absence of water as far as possible. Thus the source of nitrous acid is one of its organic esters (e.g., amyl nitrite) and a solution of hydrogen chloride gas in absolute alcohol upon the addition of ether only the diazonium salt is precipitated as a crystalline solid, for example ... 

An interesting application of the diazo reaction is to the preparation of the otherwise difficultly accessible o- and />-dinitrobenzenes o- or p-rutrophenyl-diazonium fluoborates react with sodium nitrite in the presence of copper powder to yield o- or p-dinitrobenzene ... 

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