Covalent Inorganic Azides

The chemistry of covalent inorganic azides originated with the synthesis of aqueous HN₃ solutions by Tony Curtis in 1890. A little later, in 1900, it proved possible to prepare iodine azide, IN₃, as the first member of the meanwhile complete series of halogen azides. Since then it has been possible to synthesize, in addition to HN₃ and the stable salt H₂NSbF, azide compounds of elements from Groups 13 to 17. In these compounds the N₃ moiety acts as a pseudohalogen and is primarily covalently coordinated to the nonmetal. Only a few organic azides, however, as well as HN₃, H₂N, and all halogen azides have been thoroughly studied with respect to structure and bonding. The combined application of diffraction methods (X-ray and electron diffraction) and microwave spectroscopy together with quantum chemical approaches such as ab initio SCF and density functional calculations have led in the last few years to an improved understanding of the molecular properties of numerous nonmetal azides, almost all of which are explosive. This interaction of theory and experiment has greatly enhanced the development of azide chemistry and has led to realistic expectations for the synthesis of as yet unknown nonmetal azides.     

Studies of the Reaction Behavior of Nitryl Compounds Towards Azides: Evidence for Tetranitrogen Dioxide,N4O2

The reaction behavior of NaN₃, AgN₃, and Me₃SiN₃ towards FNO₂, CINO₂, NO₂SbF₆, and NO₂BF₄ was investigated. At -30°C or below in a solvent-free system sodium azide did not react with CINO₂, NO₂BF₄, or NO₂SbF₆. Below -30°C silver azide did not react either with neat C1NO₂. Treatment of Me₃SiN₃ with pure C1NO₂ led to the formation of C1N₃, N₂O, and Me₃SiOSiMe₃. A mechanism for this reaction has been proposed. Pure chlorine azide was isolated by fractional condensation and identified by its low-temperature Raman spectrum (liquid state). The reaction of Cp₂Ti(N₃)₂ with C1NO₂ also yielded C1N₃ as the only azide-containing reaction product. Treatment of FNO₂ with NaN₃ at temperatures as low as -78°C always ended in an explosion which was probably due to the formation of FN₃ as one of the reaction products. The reaction of NO₂SbF₆ with NaN₃ in liquid CO₂ (-55°C· T· -35°C) as the solvent afforded a new azide species which was stable at low temperature in solution only and was investigated by means of low-temperature Raman spectroscopy. The obtained vibrational data give strong evidence for the presence of tetranitrogen dioxide, N₄O₂, which can be regarded as nitryl azide (NO₂N₃). The structure and vibrational frequencies of N₄O₂ were computed ab initio at correlated level (MP2/6-31 + G^*). In liquid xenon (-100°C· T· -60°C) NaN₃ did not react with NO₂SbF₆. A previous literature report on the preparation of N₄O₂ could not be established.     

Fluorierung von Cyanurchlorid und Tieftemperatur-Kristallstruktur von [(ClCN)3F]+ [AsF6]−

Fluorination of Cyanuric Chloride and Low-Temperature Crystal Structure of [(ClCN)₃F]⁺[AsF₆]^? The low-temperature fluorination of cyanuric chloride, (ClCN)₃, with F₂/AsF₅ in SO₂F₂ solution yielded the salt [(ClCN)₃F]⁺ [AsF₆]^? ( 1 ) essentially in quantitative yield. Compound 1 was identified by a low-temperature single crystal X-ray structure determination: R 3 c, trigonal, a = b = 10.4246(23) Å, c = 15.1850(24) Å, V = 1429.1(4) Å 3, Z = 6, R_F = 0.056, R_w = 0.076 (for significant reflections), R_F = 0.088, R_w = 0.079 (for all reflections). Fluorination of neat (ClCN)₃ with [NF₄]⁺ [Sb₂F₁₁]^? yielded NF₃, CClF₃, SbF₃, N₂ and traces of CF₄. A qualitative scale for the oxidizing strength of the oxidative fluorinators NF₄⁺ and (XCN)₃F⁺ (X = H, F, Cl) has been computed ab initio.     

Some intriguing items in the history of scientific balances

The short survey covers the development of the balance since its invention in the Neolithic era. Scales have been used most probably first as tools in trading, but already in Old Egyptian papyrus its use in techniques is documented. Its theory was cleared by Aristotle and Archimedes and at least at that time it was used as a scientific instrument. Today the balance is still the most widely used instrument in science and there are still improvements.