Nitrogen Triiodide

2010-06-29 07:42 by Ian

In order to do this, a source of I2 was needed. Iodine was isolated from dietary supplements (KI, potassium iodide) using muriatic acid (HCl) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). The precipitated iodine was collected in a coffee filter and allowed to dry. It was then immersed in a stoichiometric excess of household ammonia at 3%. This mixture was agitated and filtered to yield a pulpy mix of iodine (I2) and nitrogen triiodide (NI3). At this point, I was nervous, and didn’t bother attempting to isolate the NI3 for a yield calculation. WTF should I have done, dried it out? Efff that.

Instead, my friend Matt and I let it dry in a safe place. Safe, meaning: Not in a glass container in a closed space full of sharp objects.

Step 3: Profit!!!

N2 is an exceptionally stable diatomic molecule; one of the most stable bond systems in Nature. The reaction…

N + N -> N2

...releases about 941 kJ/mol of N2. It also doesn’t require oxygen to do this. The reaction rate is first-order. All of these facts intersect to make nitrogen compounds excellent compounds to make explosives with.

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