Chemical Properties of Ammonia
- Ammonia is very soluble in water due to its basic composition. Due to the production of OH– ions, its aqueous solution is weakly basic.
NH3(g)+H2O(I) ⇋ NH4OH(aq) ⇋ NH4+(aq)+OH–(aq)
Because it is basic, it turns moist red litmus blue and neutralises acids in both dry and wet states, generating their corresponding salts.
NH3+HCl → NH4Cl
2NH4OH+H2SO4 → (NH4)2SO4+2H2O
- Ammonia functions as a Lewis base due to the existence of a lone pair of electrons on the nitrogen atom. Consequently, it can easily donate its electron pair to establish a coordinate bond with electron-deficient compounds such as BF3 or transition metal cations possessing unoccupied d-orbitals to form complexes. As an example,
Ag+(aq)+2NH3(aq) → [Ag(NH3)2]+(aq)
Cu2+(aq)+4NH3(aq) → [Cu(NH3)4]2+(aq)
Thus, ammonia acts as a ligand.
- Ammonia is neither a fuel nor a fuel supporter when it comes to combustion. In the presence of oxygen, however, it produces dinitrogen and water.
4NH3+3O2→2 N2+6H2O
- Ammonia is oxidised to dinitrogen gas when it passes through a solution of calcium hypochlorite (bleaching powder), bromine water, or heated copper oxide.
4NH3+3Ca(OCl)2 → 2 N2+3CaCl2+6H2O
8NH3+3Br2 → N2+6NH4Br
2NH3+3CuO+Heat → 3Cu+N2+3H2O
Ammonia is oxidised to nitric oxide when it is passed through Pt/Rh gauze at 500 K under a pressure of 9 bar with an excess of air. Ostwald’s technique uses this reaction as the starting point for making nitric acid.
Ammonia |Structure, Properties, Preparation, Uses
Ammonia (NH₃) is a colorless gas with a sharp, pungent odor. It is a compound of nitrogen and hydrogen and plays a crucial role in both the industrial sector and biological processes.
Let’s learn about ammonia in detail, including its structure, properties and uses.
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