Hydrazoic acid

Hydrazoic acid is a colorless, volatile, and extremely explosive liquid at room temperature and pressure.

History

It was first isolated in 1890 by Theodor Curtius (Berichte, 1890, 23, p. 3023).

Chemistry

It is soluble in water, and the solution dissolves many metals (zinc, iron, &c.) with liberation of hydrogen and formation of salts (azoiniides, azides or hydrazoates).

All the salts are explosive and readily interact with the alkyl iodides. In its properties it shows some analogy to the halogen acids, since it forms difficultly soluble lead, silver and mercurous salts. The metallic salts all crystallize in the anhydrous condition and decompose on heating, leaving a residue of the pure metal. The acid is a weak acid, being ionized only to a very slight extent in dilute aqueous solution.

Production

The pure acid may be obtained by fractional distillation as a colorless liquid of very unpleasant smell, boiling at 30 C., and extremely explosive.

References

• Dictionary of inorganic and organometallic compounds, Chapman & Hall

External links

• OSHA: Hydrazoic Acid

This article incorporates text from the 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica, which is in the public domain.