N2O5
dinitrogen pentoxide · nitrogen pentoxide, nitric anhydride
Dinitrogen pentoxide is a reactive, semiconducting nitrogen oxide primarily used as a potent nitrating agent in chemical manufacturing and laboratory synthesis.

About dinitrogen pentoxide
Dinitrogen pentoxide is a binary nitrogen oxide that exists as a semiconducting molecular solid. Its unique chemical structure makes it a highly reactive species, serving as a powerful nitrating agent in organic synthesis and industrial chemical processes. The compound is considered near-hull in thermodynamic stability, suggesting it is a viable target for synthesis under controlled conditions. Its status as a well-documented material across multiple databases highlights its importance in fundamental nitrogen chemistry and reactive intermediate research.
Key Properties
Cross-validated computational properties for dinitrogen pentoxide, aggregated across 3 databases.
Band GapEnergy needed to move an electron from the valence band to the conduction band. Lower or zero values tend to behave more metallic; larger gaps are more insulating or semiconducting.
Energy Above HullThermodynamic distance from the most stable set of competing phases. 0 eV/atom is on the convex hull; small positive values may still be experimentally accessible.
StabilityA plain-language summary of the best reported energy-above-hull result. It reflects whether the lowest-energy structure is on, near, or far from the stability hull.
StructuresCount of reported calculated crystal structures for this formula, including alternate polymorphs, source databases, and observed space groups.
Synthesis Routes
Literature-extracted synthesis procedures targeting N2O5.
Applications
Where dinitrogen pentoxide is used.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about dinitrogen pentoxide, answered from cross-validated data.
What is N2O5?
Dinitrogen pentoxide is a reactive, semiconducting nitrogen oxide primarily used as a potent nitrating agent in chemical manufacturing and laboratory synthesis.
What is N2O5 used for?
What is the band gap of N2O5?
Is N2O5 a metal, semiconductor, or insulator?
Is N2O5 thermodynamically stable?
How many polymorphs of N2O5 are known?
How is N2O5 synthesized?
What elements does N2O5 contain?
Where does the data for N2O5 come from?
How It Compares
As a distinct nitrogen oxide, dinitrogen pentoxide occupies a specialized niche in inorganic chemistry, characterized by its high reactivity and volatility compared to more stable, lower-order nitrogen oxides. It serves as a primary example of a reactive anhydride within the nitrogen-oxygen system.
Data sources & attribution
- latticegraph — Lattice Graph Materials Intelligence Platform
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