woelen - 14-11-2006 at 15:04
I have done a search for this compound over here at sciencemadness, and although it is mentioned, not much info is present about this.
I came across a very peculiar reaction, described in an old book (Leerboek der anorganische chemie, written by Dr. A.F. Holleman, 1920).
It says that if sodium azide is mixed with sodium hypochlorite, and it is slightly acidified, then a yellow liquid is obtained and a colorless gas is
produced with a smell of hypochlorous acid. I did the experiment, and indeed I obtained the reaction, as described in the book. The production of gas
was very violent and it almost foamed over the rim of the test tube, as soon as I added a small amount of 1 M H2SO4.
The gas was colorless and had a very pungent smell, not like chlorine, and also not like hydrazoic acid.
Is this really N3Cl? I can also imagine it is just N2. In the book it is called chlorine azide, but I would not think this is a good name, unless
chlorine is in the +1 oxidation state and N is in the -1/3 oxidation state. Or is chlorine, as the more electronegative element, in the -1 oxidation
state and nitrogen in the +1/3 oxidation state?
I collected a few bubbles of this gas on the surface of some water in a tub, and lighted the bubbles with a flame. They give a soft plop when the fire
touches them, so definitely there is some interesting compound in the gas. It certainly is not only N2.
Has someone else experience with this reaction, or is there someone with more knowledge about this reaction? It seems like an interesting and very
unusual reaction, which could be used to produce new interesting compounds? How dangerous is N3Cl? My book states it is explosive, but how much? Can
it be collected safely in larger than just bubble amounts?
The_Davster - 14-11-2006 at 18:27
From 'Energetic Materials-Physics and Chemistry of the Inorganic Azides'
I would consider it a covalent compound, similar to an interhalogen
