The molecule is bent. A double bond exists between N and O (distance = 1.16 Å) and a single bond between N and Cl (distance = 1.96 Å). The O=N–Cl angle is 113°.[2]
Production
Nitrosyl chloride can be produced in many ways.
Combining nitrosylsulfuric acid and HCl affords the compound. This method is used industrially.[3]
A more convenient laboratory method involves the (reversible) dehydration of nitrous acid by HCl[4]
HNO2 + HCl → H2O + NOCl
By the direct combination of chlorine and nitric oxide; This reaction reverses above 100 °C.
Cl2 + 2 NO → 2 NOCl
By reduction of nitrogen dioxide with hydrogen chloride:[5]
2NO2 + 4 HCl → 2NOCl + 2H2O + Cl2
Occurrence in aqua regia
NOCl also arises from the combination of hydrochloric and nitric acids according to the following reaction:[6]
HNO3 + 3 HCl → 2[Cl] + 2 H2O + NOCl
In nitric acid, NOCl is readily oxidized into nitrogen dioxide. The presence of NOCl in aqua regia was described by Edmund Davy in 1831.[7]
Reactions
NOCl behaves as an electrophile and an oxidant in most of its reactions. With halide acceptors it gives nitrosonium salts, and synthesis of nitrosonium tetrachloroferrate is typically performed in liquid NOCl:[8]
Aside from its role in the production of caprolactam, NOCl finds some other uses in organic synthesis. It adds to alkenes to afford α-chloro oximes.[12] The addition of NOCl follows the Markovnikov rule. Ketenes also add NOCl, giving nitrosyl derivatives:
H2C=C=O + NOCl → ONCH2C(O)Cl
Carbonyl compoundsenolize; and then NOCl attacks the nucleophilic end of the alkene to give a vicinal keto- or aldo-oxime.[13]
Epoxides react with NOCl to give an α-chloronitritoalkyl derivatives. In the case of propylene oxide, the addition proceeds with high regiochemistry:[14]
Before the advent of modern spectroscopic methods for chemical analysis, informative chemical degradation and structure elucidation required the characterization of the individual
components of various extracts. Notably, the aforementioned introduction of nitrosyl chloride by Tilden in 1875, as a reagent for producing crystalline derivatives of terpenes, e.g. α-pinene from oil of turpentine allowed investigators to readily distinguish one terpene from another.:[17]
Safety
Nitrosyl chloride is very toxic and irritating to the lungs, eyes, and skin.
^Morton, J. R.; Wilcox, H. W.; Moellerf, Therald; Edwards, Delwin C. (1953). "Nitrosyl Chloride". In Bailar, John C. Jr (ed.). Inorganic Syntheses. Vol. 4. McGraw-Hill. p. 48. doi:10.1002/9780470132357.ch16. ISBN9780470132357.
^Beckham, L. J.; Fessler, W. A.; Kise, M. A. (1951). "Nitrosyl Chloride". Chemical Reviews. 48 (3): 319–396. doi:10.1021/cr60151a001. PMID24541207.
^Edmund Davy (1830–1837). "On a New Combination of Chlorine and Nitrous Gas". Abstracts of the Papers Printed in the Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. 3: 27–29. JSTOR110250.
^Kirby, G. W. (1977). "Tilden Lecture. Electrophilic C-Nitroso Compounds". Chemical Society Reviews. 6: 1. doi:10.1039/CS9770600001.
^Johnson, B. F. G.; Al-Obadi, K. H. (1970). "Dihalogenodinitrosylmolybdenum and Dihalogenodinitrosyltungsten". Inorganic Syntheses. Vol. 12. pp. 264–266. doi:10.1002/9780470132432.ch47. ISBN9780470132432. {{cite book}}: |journal= ignored (help)
^Malinovskii, M. S.; Medyantseva, N. M. (1953). "Olefin Oxides. IX. Condensation of Olefin Oxides with Nitrosyl Chloride". Zhurnal Obshchei Khimii. 23: 84–6. (translated from Russian)
^Van Leusen, A. M.; Strating, J. (1977). "p-Tolylsulfonyldiazomethane". Org. Synth. 57: 95. doi:10.15227/orgsyn.057.0095.
^Hanson, J.S. (2001). "The development of strategies for terpenoid structure determination". Natural Product Reports. 18 (6): 607–617. doi:10.1039/b103772m.