Question

The hydrolysis of ${\rm{NC}}{{\rm{l}}_{\rm{3}}}$ by water molecules produces:
A) ${\rm{N}}{{\rm{H}}_{\rm{2}}}{\rm{OH}} + {\rm{HOCl}}$
B) ${\rm{N}}{{\rm{H}}_{\rm{2}}}{\rm{N}}{{\rm{H}}_{\rm{2}}} + {\rm{HO}}$
C) ${\rm{N}}{{\rm{H}}_{\rm{4}}}{\rm{OH}} + {\rm{HOCl}}$
D) ${\rm{N}}{{\rm{H}}_{\rm{2}}}{\rm{Cl}} + {\rm{HOCl}}$

Answer 1

Hint: During hydrolysis, a compound reacts with water and breakdowns to produce simpler compounds. In a hydrolysis reaction, one of the molecules gains or accepts the hydrogen ion.

Complete step-by-step answer:
The skeletal reaction for the hydrolysis of ${\rm{NC}}{{\rm{l}}_{\rm{3}}}$ by water molecule can be given as,
${\rm{NC}}{{\rm{l}}_{\rm{3}}} + {{\rm{H}}_{\rm{2}}}{\rm{O}} \to {\rm{N}}{{\rm{H}}_{\rm{4}}}{\rm{OH}} + {\rm{HOCl}}$

The balanced reaction for the hydrolysis of ${\rm{NC}}{{\rm{l}}_{\rm{3}}}$ by water molecule can be given as,
${\rm{2NC}}{{\rm{l}}_{\rm{3}}} + {\rm{8}}{{\rm{H}}_{\rm{2}}}{\rm{O}} \to 2{\rm{N}}{{\rm{H}}_{\rm{4}}}{\rm{OH}} + {\rm{6HOCl}}$

Nitrogen trichloride reacts with water to produce ammonium hydroxide and hypochlorous acid. Nitrogen does not have a low-lying vacant orbital, so it hydrolyses through donation of lone pairs of electrons of Nitrogen atoms to the hydrogen atom of the water molecule.

So, C is the correct option. The formula of ammonium hydroxide is ${\rm{N}}{{\rm{H}}_{\rm{4}}}{\rm{OH}}$ and hypochlorous acid is ${\rm{HOCl}}$.

Hence, option C is correct.

Additional Information:
1. ${\rm{NC}}{{\rm{l}}_{\rm{3}}}$ is a yellow, oily, pungent-smelling explosive liquid which is commonly encountered as a by-product of the chemical reaction between chlorine derivatives and ammonia derivatives.
2. Hydrolysis is considered to be one of the most important processes for the processing or making drugs in the drug industries as well as in pharmaceutical industries. Most functional groups undergo hydrolysis, but amides and esters which are found in drugs are prone to hydrolysis. In photosynthesis, hydrolysis also plays an important part. During the process of photosynthesis, six molecules of water and six molecules of carbon dioxide in presence of the sunlight reacts to generate six molecules of oxygen and one molecule of glucose.

Note: It is important to note that, ${\rm{NC}}{{\rm{l}}_{\rm{3}}}$ generates hydrogen chlorate and ammonia gas on hydrolysis. Hypochlorous acid is unstable. It breaks down further to produce oxygen gas and hydrochloric acids.