Nitrogen trichloride
Nitrogen trichloride, also known as trichloramine, is the chemical compound with the formula. This yellow, oily, and explosive liquid is most commonly encountered as a product of chemical reactions between ammonia-derivatives and chlorine. Alongside monochloramine and dichloramine, trichloramine is responsible for the distinctive 'chlorine smell' associated with swimming pools, where the compound is readily formed as a product from hypochlorous acid reacting with ammonia and other nitrogenous substances in the water, such as urea from urine.
Preparation and occurrence
The compound is generated by treatment of ammonium chloride with calcium hypochlorite. When prepared in an aqueous-dichloromethane mixture, the trichloramine is extracted into the nonaqueous phase. Intermediates in this conversion include monochloramine and dichloramine, and, respectively.Nitrogen trichloride, trademarked as Agene, was at one time used to bleach flour, but this practice was banned in the United States in 1949 due to safety concerns.
Structure and properties
Like ammonia, is a pyramidal molecule. The N-Cl distances are 1.76 Å, and the Cl-N-Cl angles are 107°.Nitrogen trichloride can form in small amounts when public water supplies are disinfected with monochloramine, and in swimming pools by disinfecting chlorine reacting with urea in urine and sweat from bathers.
Reactions and uses
The chemistry of has been well explored. It is moderately polar with a dipole moment of 0.6 D. The nitrogen center is basic but much less so than ammonia. It is hydrolyzed by hot water to release ammonia and hypochlorous acid.Concentrated samples of NCl3 can explode to give N2 and chlorine gas.
In the presence of aluminium trichloride, NCl3 reacts with some branched hydrocarbons to produce, after a hydrolysis step, amines.