Reduction with Hydrazinium Salt

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 ... 

Hydrazotc acid, HN,. ply.. = 4.72, and most of its covalent compounds (including its heavy metal salts) are explosive. It is formed (1) in 90% yield by reaction of sodium amide with nitrous oxide, (2) by reaction of hydraztntum ion with nitrous acid, (3) by oxidation of hydrazimum salts, (4) by reactio n of hydt azinium hydrate with nitrogen trichloride tin benzene solution). Hvdrazoic acid forms metal azides with the corresponding hydroxides and carbonates. It reacts with HC1 to give ammonium chlonde and nitrogen, with H2SO4 to form hydrazinium acid solfate, with benzene to form aniline, and it enters into a number of oxidation-reduction reactions. 

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