Why don't secondary and tertiary amines react with nitrous acid to liberate nitrogen gas?

1 Answer
anor277
Feb 7, 2017

Because these amines are not reducing..........

Explanation:

The oxidation state of nitrogen in nitrous acid, #HNO_2#, is #+III#. Reduction to dinitrogen is a formal three electron reduction:

#HNO_2 +3H^(+) + 3e^(-) rarr 1/2N_2 + 2H_2O#

Amines are insufficiently reducing to effect this change.

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