Sciencemadness Discussion Board

Nitric acid alternative

APO - 14-2-2013 at 11:39

Sodium Bisulfate can be used like sulfuric acid for lots of things and I'ts much safer to store than sulfuric acid, anything like that to replace nitric acid.

AndersHoveland - 14-2-2013 at 14:56

It depends what reaction you want to use it for...

For performing nitrations, there is anhydrous copper(II) nitrate. Nearly impossible to find though, almost always sold in the form of its non-reactive hydrate.

You can however just mix Cu(NO3)2 hydrate with acetic anhydride, under what is known as Menke conditions.

Anhydrous magnesium nitrate is also a very powerful dehydrating agent, it can be used to pull out the water out of dilute nitric acid to concentrate it past its azeotropic boiling point.

Just to point out the obvious, neither of these two reactive anhydrous salts can be prepared by merely heating their respective hydrates. Heating results in decomposition before their water of hydration is eleminated.

Anhydrous aluminum trinitrate is also very acidic and oxidizing. It is prepared by reacting AlCl3 with NO2, using liquified SO2 as the solvent.

[Edited on 14-2-2013 by AndersHoveland]

APO - 14-2-2013 at 15:28

What about anyhydrous strontium nitrate?

Simbani - 14-2-2013 at 15:57

Another option is C(NO2)4 , but i advise you not to think about using that.. But i don´t think someone here can get this stuff and if yes, he wouldn´t handle it without a glovebox.
Just get a nitrate and everything is good.

[Edited on 15-2-2013 by Simbani]

woelen - 14-2-2013 at 23:28

Quote: Originally posted by APO  
What about anyhydrous strontium nitrate?
No, this is not reactive at all at lower temperatures. This is because it is a purely ionic nitrate, just like KNO3, NaNO3, Ca(NO3)2 and many others.

blue_vitriol - 16-2-2013 at 06:42

The nitrate ion has a charge of negative one, so there is no such thing as a binitrate ion if that's what you're asking.

APO - 16-2-2013 at 08:49

No, that's not what I'm asking.

APO - 16-2-2013 at 13:39

So, how would I use the anyhydrous copper nitrate to replace nitric acid?

APO - 16-2-2013 at 13:45

Also if I add anhydrous copper nitrate to nitric acid, can it break the azetrope?