Sciencemadness Discussion Board

Explosive containing nitrogen at all oxidation states

laekkerBoy - 9-11-2013 at 12:52

Dear fellow chemists,

I just have a (hopefully) quick question for you guys. I once, long time ago, read on this forum about an explosive containing nitrogen at all oxidation states (N, NO, NO2, NO3 etc) (IIRC, it was in the "Member Publications"-section.

Today, as I wanted to impress my chemistry teacher with some trivia, I mentioned for him this explosive. He thought it sounded very interesting and wanted to see the structure of the explosive, but when I went to the computer to find it, I was unsuccessful. I have now spent several hours of searching for the compound, while still remaining unsuccessful in finding it.

So my question is, can you guys please help me find it?
Thank you so much in advance!

- laekkerBoy

unionised - 9-11-2013 at 13:08

Zero is going to be a challenge.

laekkerBoy - 9-11-2013 at 13:14

Oh yes, I know that :-). I just phrased it that way as I am quite sure that "all oxidation states" is how it was formulated.

DubaiAmateurRocketry - 10-11-2013 at 03:55

Wow oxidation state 0, wonder how will you do that !

bismuthate - 10-11-2013 at 06:08

A buckyball with nitrogen trapped in it? (not explosive)

[Edited on 10-11-2013 by bismuthate]

DubaiAmateurRocketry - 10-11-2013 at 06:18

Quote: Originally posted by bismuthate  
A buckyball with nitrogen trapped in it? (not explosive)

[Edited on 10-11-2013 by bismuthate]


What about the bucky ball made up of nitrogen ;)

bismuthate - 10-11-2013 at 06:20

Sounds like an explosive to me.:D

laekkerBoy - 10-11-2013 at 07:33

No, not exactly ;-).
I seem to recall that it had a rather large cyclic center and some small side chains.

DubaiAmateurRocketry - 10-11-2013 at 07:53

R-N≡N

Where the N in the middle is a cation. and the right N is zero oxidation state ?

unionised - 10-11-2013 at 08:30

Complexes of the N2 molecule exist, and the nitrogen has a formal zero oxidation state.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transition_metal_dinitrogen_com...
But tagging that onto the other oxidation states is going to be hard work.
Come to think of it, nitrogen (VI) will be tricky too.
Yes, I mean oxidation state 6.
Google
"unstable nitrogen trioxide"
if you don't believe me.