What is #NO_2# called?

1 Answer
anor277
Jan 9, 2017

#"Nitrogen(IV) dioxide.........."#

Explanation:

Or #"dinitrogen tetroxide"#.

The Lewis structure of #"NO"_2# features a lone electron on the formally positive nitrogen centre, and this can rationalize the formation of #"N"_2"O"_4#, #"dinitrogen tetroxide"#:

#2("O"=dot"N"^(+)-"O"^(-))rightleftharpoons(""^(-)"O")("O"=)"N"^(+)-""^(+)"N"(="O")("O"^-)#

The nitrogen radicals are conceived to couple to form a #"N"-"N"# bond, in which both centres are still formal cations. What is the formal charge on the dimer?

Related questions
See all questions in Naming Ionic Compounds
Impact of this question
1335 views around the world
You can reuse this answer
Creative Commons License