What is "nitrogen oxide"

n. (context chemistry English) Any oxide of nitrogen.

n. any of several oxides of nitrogen formed by the action of nitric acid on oxidizable materials; present in car exhausts

Nitrogen oxide may refer to a binary compound of oxygen and nitrogen, or a mixture of such compounds:

• Nitric oxide, also known as nitrogen monoxide (NO), nitrogen(II) oxide
• Nitrogen dioxide (NO), nitrogen(IV) oxide
• Nitrous oxide (NO), nitrogen(−I,III) oxide
• Nitrosylazide (NO), nitrogen(−I,0,I,II) oxide
• Oxatetrazole (NO)
• Dinitrogen trioxide (NO), nitrogen(II,IV) oxide
• Dinitrogen tetroxide (NO), nitrogen(IV) oxide
• Dinitrogen pentoxide (NO), nitrogen(V) oxide
• Trinitramide (N(NO) or NO), nitrogen(0,IV) oxide
• Nitrite
• Nitrate
• Nitronium
• Nitrosonium
• peroxonitrite

The compounds NO and NO are radicals. In addition, there are several anions of nitrogen oxides. The most stable of these is the nitrate anion:

• Nitrate (NO), trioxonitrate(V) ion

but other nitrogen oxoanions include nitrite, peroxonitrite, trioxodinitrate (hyponitrate), and nitroxylate.

In atmospheric chemistry, air pollution, and related fields, nitrogen oxides refers specifically to NO (NO and NO).

Only the first three of these compounds can be isolated at room temperature. NO, NO, and NO all decompose rapidly at room temperature. NO, NO, and N(NO) are very reactive.

NO is stable and rather unreactive at room temperature, while NO and NO are quite reactive but nevertheless quite stable when isolated.

Image:Nitric-oxide-3D-vdW.png|

Nitric oxide, NO

Image:Nitrogen-dioxide-3D-vdW.png|

Nitrogen dioxide, NO

Image:Nitrous-oxide-3D-vdW.png|

Nitrous oxide, NO

Image:Dinitrogen-trioxide-3D-vdW.png|

Dinitrogen trioxide, NO

Image:Dinitrogen-tetroxide-3D-vdW.png|

Dinitrogen tetroxide, NO

Image:Dinitrogen-pentoxide-3D-vdW.png|

Dinitrogen pentoxide, NO

Image:Trinitramide-3D-spacefill.png|

Trinitramide, N(NO)

1. United States Clean Air Act, ↩
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