Sodium Azide: Complete Chemistry Guide

Sodium azide is used as a chemical preservative in hospitals and laboratories. An organic azide is an organic compound containing the azide (N₃) functional group. Because of the hazards associated with their use, few azides are used commercially although they exhibit interesting reactivity for researchers. Some inorganic azides and alkyl azides are used as initiating explosives in detonators and percussion caps.

Ionic Structure for Sodium Azide

What is Azide Group?

An organic azide group is an organic compound containing the chemical compound (N₃) as a functional group. Owing to the hazards related to their use, few azides are used commercially though they exhibit attention-grabbing reactivity for researchers.

For example Compounds, R-N₃ is named Phenyl azide when R is a phenyl group, in radicofunctional terminology, by putting the word "azide" after the name of the radical R . In ( Azidobenzene ), in substitutive nomenclature, by adding the prefix "azido-" to the name of the compound RH.

Azido Benzene

Synthesis of Sodium Azide

Sodium azide is an ionic compound. The NaN3 compounds are very soluble in water. These solutions contain some quantity of hydrogen azide as shown within the following chemical equation:

\[N_{3}^{-}+{{H}_{2}}O\rightleftharpoons H{{N}_{3}}K={{10}^{-4.6}}\]

The sodium azide is present in the form of a white solid.

Sodium Azide

Preparation

The common synthesis technique used is the "Wislicenus method," which takes place in 2 steps from ammonia. in the beginning, ammonia is converted to metal \[NaN{{H}_{2}}\].

$2Na+2N{{H}_{3}}\to 2NaN{{H}_{2}}+{{H}_{2}} \\$

$2NaN{{H}_{2}}+{{N}_{2}}O\to Na{{N}_{3}}+NaOH+N{{H}_{3}} \\$

The NaNH₂ reacts with nitrous oxide.

Alternatively, the salt is obtained by the reaction of nitrate with metal NaNH₂.

Reactions of Sodium Azide

Treating sodium azide with sturdy acids provides hydrazoic acid as a product:

\[{{H}_{2}}S{{O}_{4}}+Na{{N}_{3}}\to H{{N}_{3}}+NaHS{{O}_{4}}\]

Sodium azide doesn't soften however decomposes smartly to Na metal and N gas at approximately 300 °C. An electrical charge triggered by automobile impact heats the salt to explosively unleash N gas within the airbag:

\[2Na{{N}_{3}}\to 2Na+3{{N}_{2}}\]

In the above reaction, the formed shape may be a hazard itself. In automobile airbags, it's converted by reaction with alternative ingredients, like KNO3and SiO2, into an inert alkaline salt 'glass'.

Sodium azide is destroyed by treatment with acidic sodium nitrite resolution.

\[2Na{{N}_{3}}+2HN{{O}_{2}}\to 3{{N}_{2}}+2NO+NaOH\]

Sodium azide is employed in organic synthesis to introduce the azide functional group by displacement of a salt.

Biochemical Uses of Sodium Azide

Sodium azide may be a helpful probe chemical agent and preservative. In hospitals and laboratories, it's a biocide; it's particularly vital in bulk reagents and stock solutions which can otherwise support microorganism growth where the sodium azide acts as a bacteriostatic by inhibiting hemoprotein enzyme in gram-negative bacteria; gram-positive (streptococci, pneumococci, lactobacilli) are resistant. it's additionally used in agriculture (farming) for pest management.

Azide inhibits hemoprotein enzyme by binding irreversibly to the haem cofactor in a very similar method almost like the action of CO(Carbon monoxide). sodium azide significantly affects organs that endure high rates of respiration, like the heart and also the brain.

Toxic Effects

Sodium azide is usually comparable to cyanide, as they provide similar symptoms. Exposure to sodium azide has some or all of the subsequent symptoms within minutes: fast respiration, restlessness, dizziness, weakness, headache, nausea, vomit, fast pulse, red eyes (gas or mud exposure), clear drainage from the nose, cough, skin burns, and blisters (explosion or direct skin contact. Exposure to a high amount of Na azide could cause these alternative health effects as well: convulsions, low blood pressure, low pulse, loss of consciousness, and respiratory organ injury, respiratory failure resulting in death.

Interesting Facts

• Sodium azide could be a rapidly acting, deadly chemical that exists as an odorless white solid.

• When it's mixed with water or acid, Sodium azide changes quickly to a poisonous gas with a pungent (sharp) odor.

• The odor of the gas might not be sharp enough, however, to provide individuals sufficient warning of the danger.

Important Questions

1. Why NaN₃ compound is used in airbags?

Ans. Crashes trip sensors in cars that send an electrical signal to an ignitor. the heat generated causes sodium azide to decompose into Na metal and N gas, which inflates the car's airbags. under normal circumstances, this molecule is kind of stable.

2. Azides are acid sensitive or not?

Ans. heavy metal azide salts tend to be extremely heat and shock-sensitive explosives. Avoid water and robust acids which might cause the formation of hydrogen azide, which is very poisonous, volatile, and explosive.

Summary

Azide is the ion with the formula N^-3. Sodium azide is the compound with the formula NaN3. This colorless salt is the gas-forming element in legacy automobile airbag systems. NaN3 is present as a colorless crystalline solid. Its density is 1.85 g / cm³. It causes burns within the air and may explode if high quantities are involved. It's harmful if consumed. Sodium azide is often used as a bacteriostatic preservative for biological samples.