Zinc Azide

The complex azide is highly explosive and must be handled with extreme care. The analogous potassium and caesium derivatives of zinc azide and nickel azide deflagrate strongly in a flame and some are shock-sensitive [1], The potassium salt alone out of 8 azido-complexes exploded during X-irradiation in an ESCA study [2],... 

Lead azide, on prolonged contact with copper, zinc or their alloys, forms traces of the extremely sensitive copper or zinc azides which may initiate detonation of the whole mass of azide. 

Asymmetric introduction of azide to the a-position of a carbonyl has been achieved by several methods. These include amine to azide conversion by diazo transfer,2 chiral enolate azidation,3 and displacement of optically active trifluoromethanesulfonates,4 p-nitrobenzenesulfonates,5 or halides.6 Alkyl 2-azidopropionates have been prepared in optically active form by diazo transfer,2 p-nitrobenzenesulfonate displacement,5 and the Mitsunobu displacement using zinc azide.7 The method presented here is the simplest of the displacement methods since alcohol activation and displacement steps occur in the same operation. In cases where the a-hydroxy esters are available, this would be the simplest method to introduce azide. 

Lead azide explodes on heating at 350°C or on percussion. Its detonation velocity is 5.1 km/sec (Meyer, E. 1989. Chemistry of Hazardous Materials, 2nreaction with carbon disulfide and forms shock-sensitive copper and zinc azides when mixed with the solutions of copper and zinc salts (Patnaik, P. 1999. A Comprehensive Guide to the Hazardous Properties of Chemical Substances, ed. New York John Wdey). 

Petrikaln (Ref 7) photographed the spectra of Zn(N3)a and other azides. With the azides of Ca, Sr and Ba, not only triplet system lines but also those of the singlet system were emitted. Zn(N3)a emitted only triplet system lines of the diffuse and sharp series. In addn the oxide bands were present in all the spectra. Kahovec Kohlrausch (Ref 13) detd the Raman spectra of basic zinc azide crysts. 

M. C. Viaud and P. RoIIin, Zinc azide mediated Mitsunobu substitution. An expedient method for the one-pot azidalion of alcohols. Synthesis p. 130 (1990). 

It was first prepd in 1892 by Wislicenus (Ref l) by the action of nitrous oxide on Zn amide at 150-250°. Curtius Rissom (Ref 2) obtd the basic zinc azide, ZnOHN, by dissolving the metal in dil HN3 and allowing the soln to evap in air. The product, ill-defined anisotropic crysts, was insol in w. Dennis Isham (Ref 3) prepd Zn(Ns)a-2NH3 and Zn (Nj)a 2Cs Hs N by dissolving Zn in alcoholic HNj, adding dry NH3 or pyridine in excess, and allowing the soln to evap. Both products were wh, crystalline ppts, insol in w, and... 

Zinc Acetylide A83 L Zinc Azide A624-L Zinc Azidodithiocarbonate A637-L Zinc Diazide A624-L Zirconium Carbide A83-L i... 

Bailar, 1973, Vol. 3, 217 Zinc azide is said to explode easily. See SODIUM AZIDE HEAVY METALS See other METAL AZIDES... 

Zinc abietate, 3897 Zinc amalgam, 4596 Zinc azide, 4780... 

Copper or Zinc. Prolonged contact of the azide with copper, zinc, or their alloys forms traces of extremely explosive copper or zinc azides.4... 

---