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Silver hyponitrite

Chemical compound From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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Silver hyponitrite is an ionic compound with formula Ag2N2O2 or (Ag+
)2[ON=NO]2−, containing monovalent silver cations and hyponitrite anions. It is a bright yellow solid practically insoluble in water and most organic solvents, including DMF and DMSO.[1][2][3]

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Preparation

The compound was described in 1848.[4]

The salt can be precipitated from a solution of sodium hyponitrite in water by the addition of silver nitrate:[2]

Na
2
N
2
O
2
+ 2 AgNO
3
Ag
2
N
2
O
2
+ 2 NaNO
3

Excess silver nitrate yields a brown or black precipitate.[1][2]

Silver hyponitrite can also be prepared by reacting silver nitrate with sodium amalgam.[5]

Properties and reactions

Silver hyponitrite is sparingly soluble in concentrated alkali hyponitrite solutions, but quite soluble in aqueous ammonia due to the formation of the complex cation [(NH
3
)2Ag]+.[6] The compound is slowly decomposed by light.[5]

The anhydrous compound decomposes in vacuum at 158 °C. The primary decomposition products are silver(I) oxide Ag
2
O
and nitrous oxide N
2
O
. However, these then react to form a variable mixture of nitrogen, metallic silver, and various oxides of the two elements and silver salts.[1]

Hyponitrous acid

Reaction of silver hyponitrite with anhydrous hydrogen chloride in ether is the standard way to prepare hyponitrous acid:

Ag
2
N
2
O
2
+ 2 HCl → H
2
N
2
O
2
+ 2 AgCl

Spectroscopic data indicate a trans configuration for the resulting acid.[7]

Alkyl halides

Silver hyponitrite reacts with alkyl halides, to form alkyl hyponitrites. For example, reaction with methyl bromide yields the spontaneously explosive dimethyl hyponitrite:[2]

2 CH
3
Br
+ Ag
2
N
2
O
2
H
3
C
-O-N=N-O-CH
3
+ 2 AgBr

Other alkyl hyponitrites reported in the literature include those of ethyl,[8] benzyl,[9][10][11] and tert-butyl.[12][13][14]

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References

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