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

Charge-neutral edit

Anions edit

Name Formula
Nitroxide O=N
Nitrite O=N−O or NO2
Nitrate NO3
Peroxynitrite O=N−O−O or NO3
Peroxynitrate O2N−O−O or NO4
Orthonitrate NO3−4, analogous to phosphate PO3−4
Hyponitrite O−N=N−O or N2O2−2
Trioxodinitrate or hyponitrate [O2NNO]2− or [N2O3]2−
Nitroxylate (O−)2N−N(−O)2 or N2O4−4
Dinitramide O2N−N−NO2 or N3O4

Cations edit

Atmospheric sciences edit

In atmospheric chemistry:

  • NOx (or NOx) refers to the sum of NO and NO2.[1][2]
  • NOy (or NOy) refers to the sum of NOx and all oxidized atmospheric odd-nitrogen species (e.g. the sum of NOx, HNO3, HNO2, etc.)
  • NOz (or NOz) = NOyNOx


Stability edit

Due to relatively weak N–O bonding, all nitrogen oxides are unstable with respect to N2 and O2, which is the principle behind the catalytic converter, and prevents the oxygen and nitrogen in the atmosphere from combusting.

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ United States Clean Air Act, 42 U.S.C. § 7602
  2. ^ Seinfeld, John H.; Pandis, Spyros N. (1997), Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics: From Air Pollution to Climate Change, Wiley-Interscience, ISBN 0-471-17816-0