Inorganic Chemistry, Vol.38, No.7, 1592-1595, 1999
Electron transfer. 139. Reductions with trioxodinitrate, [N2O3](2-)
Trioxodinitrate (N2O32-), prepared as its sodium salt (Angeli's salt, Na2N2O3) by nitrosation of hydroxylamine using isopropyl nitrate and sodium ethoxide, reacts with a variety of inorganic oxidants. Observed stoichiometries for both 1e(-) and 2e(-) reagents at pH values above 4 generally point to conversion mainly to nitrite with both types. Kinetic acidity patterns, pertaining to media where the uninegative ion, HN2O3- (pK(A) = 9.3) predominates, indicate that oxidations by both I-2 and I-3(-) proceed through the dinegative ion, N2O32-, but that oxidations by I(V) involve HIO3 and the monoprotonated reductant. Oxidations with both Cl(I) and I(VII) proceed by multiple paths involving several protonation levels, with the acidity profile for the latter (Figure 1) being unusually complex. It is proposed that oxidations by HOCL proceed by Cl+ transfer, that iodate and periodate utilize oxygen transfer, and that the 1e(-) oxidants employ a pair of outer-sphere transactions of which the first is rate-determining. The most unusual aspect of each of these transformations appears to be the rapid cleavage of a N2O42- intermediate having an N=N double bond. The ease of this splitting is attributed to the marked diminution of bonding action through electron withdrawal by four strongly electronegative oxygen atoms.
Keywords:SODIUM TRIOXODINITRATE(II);AQUEOUS-SOLUTION;NITRITE;DENITRIFICATION;DECOMPOSITION;INTERMEDIATE;ANION;NO