NITROGEN AND ITS COMPOUND


 Outcomes of learning 
• Understand the Inert nature of Nitrogen 
• Principle of Nitrogen extraction from air 
• Manufacture of Ammonia gas using Haber
Process
• Properties and uses of Ammonia gas to
manufacture Nitric Acid and Fertilisers
• Name and draw the different oxides of
Nitrogen (NO, NO2, N2O4)
• Understand the formation of smog and
destructive effects of acid rain 
• Know the functions of catalytic converter used
in car exhausts 
• Nitrogen cycle
Keep Quiet
 WHAT IS NITROGEN ?
• Nitrogen, N2 is a Diatomic gas 
• Makes up 78% of the atmosphere
• Colorless, Tasteless, and Odorless 
 Properties 
• Nitrogen – one of the most electronegative
elements ( exceeded by Oxygen and Fluorine
only )
• Nitrogen molecule consists of TRIPLE BONDS
(N≡N)
• Extremely short  inter nucleus distance
• Very high bond energy 
• Chemically Inert due to strong N≡N bond 
• Dissociation energy is 940kJ mol ˉ ¹
 Shapes of Nitrogen 
• N≡N is LINEAR in shape 
• Each nitrogen shares 3 valence electrons, with
a lone pair on each side of the atom.
• The shape is symmetrical and thus the non-
polar nature of the nitrogen molecules 
 Where to find Nitrogen ?
• Plants – In nitrates form from the soil to make
protein 
• Animals – they consume the plants to get
protein supplies 
Extraction of Nitrogen from Atmosphere

• Fractional Distillation

• In 2 stages,
– Clean air ( after removal of dust particles and
carbon dioxide ) into a compressor -> compressed
under high pressure and low temperature until
liquefied -> Left only Nitrogen and Oxygen gas in
the liquid air
• After that, the mixture of liquid air undergoes
Fractional Distillation.
• Nitrogen gas collected before oxygen.
• Because Nitrogen has lower boiling point than
oxygen.
• -196 °C Nitrogen
• -182.95 °C Oxygen
 Compounds of Nitrogen
• Electronic Configuration of Nitrogen 1s²2s²2p³
 Compounds of Ammonia
• Produced by Haber Process 

• Hydrogen and Nitrogen mixed in ratio 3:1 by

volume.
• Gases are dried and passed over finely divided
iron catalyst at 450° C and pressure of 250 atm
 Properties of Ammonia
• Colorless
• Pungent smelling gas
• Boiling point of -34 °C
• Poisonous
• Does not burn in air
• Most soluble and the only common alkaline gas
 Nitric Acid
• Ostwald Process
• Manufactured by catalytic oxidation of
Ammonia
 How ?
• The ammonia and air are passed over a
platinum gauze at 700-800 °C. Its oxidised to
Nitric acid
• The hot nitric oxide gas is cooled and then
oxidised by more air to nitrogen dioxide
• The Nitrogen Dioxide are dissolved in water to
form nitric acid under conditions of 80 °C and
8 atm
 To get a higher yield,
• The purity of nitric acid produced is approx.
60%.
• Higher concentration of Nitric Acid can be
obtained by distillation with concentrated
Sulphuric acid where the purity can be
increased to as high as 98%
 Uses of Nitric Acid
• To produce Ammonium Nitrate and Sodium
Nitrate for fertilisers
• To Produce Chemical Explosive for mining and
quarrying and war as well. HAHA 
• Trinitoglycerine, TNT/ Trinitrotoluene
• As strong oxidising agent
• As an acid. Only very dilute acid will give off
hydrogen gas with electropositive metals
 Oxides of Nitrogen
• Nitric Oxide, NO is produced when Nitrogen
gas and Oxygen gas in the atmosphere
combine at high temperature (during
thunderstorms and lightning)
• Also produced in hot car engines
 Properties of Nitric Oxide
• Colorless
• Toxic and Insoluble in water
• The nitrogen atom in nitric oxide has 7
electrons in its outer orbital. Due to the add
number of electrons, nitric acid is unstable
and easily be oxidised to Nitrogen Dioxide,
NO2
 Nitrogen Dioxide
• Brown and toxic gas
• At room temperature, it has a V-shape
• Has tendency to form dimers, dinitrogen
tetroxide, N2O4 which is a colorless gas.
 Pollution caused by Nitric Oxide
• Considered as primary air pollutant
• -Burning of fossil fuels 
• -Reaction between internal combustion
engines at high temperatures
• Lightning which combines the atmospheric
nitrogen and oxygen
• When exposed to air, NO is oxidised to NxOy to
form nitrous acid and nitric acid (acid rain)
where these are considered as second
pollutant.
• Also tend to combine with gaseous
hydrocarbons in the atmosphere to form
smog.
 Acid Rain
• Produced in nature when carbon dioxide gas
from the armosphere dissolves in rainwater to
form carbonic acid. H2CO3
• Also produced when sulphur dioxide gas
comes into contact with rainwater to form
sulphuric acid.
 Cons of Acid Rain 
• Cause damages to marble and limestone of
buildings and statues. Also harmful to
vegetation and aquatic lives, eg. Octopus 
 Photochemical Smog
• SMOG – used to describe a smoky and cloudy
situation when smoke from automobile
exhaust and fog combines in the presence of
sunlight
 SMOG
• Nitric Oxide is the product between
atmospheric oxygen and nitrogen in an
internal combustion engine at very high
temperatures.
• This reaction is Ozonolysis and can cause
rubber tyres of automobile to crack 
• Also harmful to health as it damages lung
tissues
 Catalytic Converter 
Where is the catalytic converter ?

1, 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6 ?
1. Exhaust Manifold
2. Catalytic Converter 
3. Midbox/ Bullet
4. Muffler 
5. Tailpipe
6. Flow pipe
 Cat-con
• Consists of catalysts like platinum, palladium
and rhodium.
• Hot exhaust gas are passed over the 1st
chamber with these catalysts to oxidise
carbon monoxide and unburned hydrocarbons
to carbon dioxide and water. While nitric oxide
and nitrogen dioxide are reduced to harmless
nitrogen and oxygen gases.
• In the 2nd chamber, CuO or Cr2O3 are used to
dissociate nitric oxide to form harmless
nitrogen and oxygen gases.
• By coating platinum catalyst on car radiators
and air conditioner compressors, the air that
flow through the engines can be purified by
converting ozone and carbon monoxide to
harmless carbon dioxide and oxygen gases.

• O3 + CO  O2 + CO2
Nitrogen Cycle