Kinetic and product study of the reaction between nitrous acid and hydrazine

Abstract

The reaction between nitrous acid and hydrazine is a normal N-nitrosation reaction, and does not involve oxidation at NH2NH2 to N2H2 as previously postulated. The N-nitrosohydrazine decomposes by two parallel routes, to HN3 at high acidities and to ammonia and N2O at low acidities. An intermediate in the decomposition has been detected spectrophotometrically. Revised values are provided for the relative reactivity of some nucleophiles to nitrosating agents, and the relation between reactivity and charge in nitrosation reactions is discussed.