OXIDES OF NITROGEN

Content
 Formation of Nitrogen Oxides
 Health effects of Nitrogen Oxides
 Ways to reduce the amount of Nitrogen Oxides
 Miscellaneous
Nitrogen Oxides
 Binary Compounds of Nitrogen and Oxygen:

 Nitric oxide/Nitrogen Monoxide

 Nitrogen Dioxide

 Nitrous Oxide
 Structure of NO and NO2

•Has one unpaired electron • Has one unpaired electron in N

– FREE RADICAL - FREE RADICAL

• N=O Double bond •N – O Single Bond

•Usually reacts with oxygen in air to form

NO2 •Reacts with water and oxygen
to form nitric acid.

N= O _ _
O N O
Formation of NO/ NO2
(High temperature environment)
Internal Combustion Engine/
Chemical Factory Thunderstorms
Nitrogen combines with oxyen in

the air to form NO. The heat  Heat energy released
energy in the hot car engine
provides the necessary energy for by lightning causes
the endothemic reaction.
nitrogen and oxygen
N2(g) + O2(g)  2NO(g) to react, forming
 NO, a colourless gas, reacts with oxides of nitrogen.
oxygen in the atmosphere to form
a brown gas NO2

 2NO(g) + O2(g)  2NO2(g)

They are often found produced in the
exhaustion pipe of car

N2 + O2→ 2 NO
 …..or during thunderstorms

N2 + O2→ 2 NO
Health effects:
NO and NO2 :
 Irritate the eyes and cause breathing difficulties

 High levels of nitrogen oxdies lead to inflammation of

lungs (bronchitis)

 Forms ACID RAIN, which destroys buidings, aquatic life

and plants.
Acid Rain
In the presence of oxygen and water, NO2 is
converted to HNO3
4NO2 (g) + 2H2O (l) + O2 (g)  4HNO3 (aq)

Acid Rain has a pH value of <4 due to sulfuric and nitric acid.
Effects of Acid Rain
 Reacts with metals and with carbonates in marble &
limestone > damages them.
(e.g. Taj Mahal in India)
 Reduces pH value of natural water bodies to below 4,
which kills aquatic life.

 Leeches important nutrients from soil & destroys plants.

 Dissolves aluminium hydroxide in soil to produce Al3+

ions, which is toxic to plants.
Ways to reduce nitrogen oxides
 Cars are fitted with catalytic converted to remove the oxides
of nitrogen.
 The oxides of nitrogen are removed by the reduction by
carbon monoxide
 Ways to reduce nitrogen oxides

CO2, H2O,
N2

CO,
hydrocarbons, Surface coated
NOx with platinum and
rhodium catalyst

Reduction by CO

2CO + 2NO →
Rh
2CO2 + N2
 Ways to reduce nitrogen oxides
 Catalytic Converters in Vehicles
 Redox reaction involving oxidation of unburnt
hydrocarbons & CO, and the reduction of NO &
NO2 to N2 with Platinum and Rhodium acting as
catalysts.

2NO(g)+2CO(g)  N2 (g) + 2CO2 (g)

2C8 H18 (g) + 25O2 (g)  16CO2 (g) + 18H2O (g)

Additional:
Nitrous in boosting cars (NOS)
 N2O ( Nitrous oxide) decomposes in internal
combustion engines to form a mole ratio of
33% oxygen, much higher than the proportion
of oxygen in air which is 21%.

More oxygen in engine  Greater tendency for complete combustion of fuels

 Increased engine torque output
 Increase in power can range from 0.5 horsepower to 3000 horsepower,
depending on the engine type and nitrous system type.
 What are so
unusual about
these
1
compounds?
4
The nitrogen atom 2 5 Nitrogen Monoxide
contains an unpaired 3 N 6 O
electron NO
7

Nitrogen Dioxide
O N O NO2

N O Nitrogen Dioxide
N
N2 O
“
We call this compound a FREE RADICAL
What are so
unusual about
these
A radical is an
compounds? 1 atom, molecule or ion
that has2 unpaired4
valence electrons

”
The nitrogen atom 5 Nitrogen Monoxide
electron or 3an open67 electron shell
contains an unpaired N O
NO

Nitrogen Dioxide
O N O NO2

FREE RADICAL are often the cause

Nitrogen Dioxide
of
O
OZONE DEPLETION N O
N N
2
 Ozone

Due to the radical nature of nitrogen oxides

The equation proceeds as follow

NO• + O3 → NO2 • + O2
• The reaction produces another radical molecule
• The radical attacks another ozone molecule
• The reaction continues; one NO molecule can destroy
many ozone molecules
 O N O

dative bond

O N O

We call this a dimer

N2O4 ⇌ 2 NO2
It forms in equilibrium with NO2
 END!
Done by Daryl Chong, Chong Chin Hong, Ong Bin Ren
and Jonathan Lim.