Nitro Compounds

Nitro Compounds

 

Derivatives of certain molecules that contain the nitrate, NO₂, group, possess an explosive potential. Whenever an explosive detonates and a massive blast wave is produced, certain gaseous products are produced that expand rapidly and heat is also produced; these decomposition reactions tend to be exothermic because a lot of heat is released, which contributes to the violent explosion. The blast wave is triggered by the instantaneous expansion of the gases that are produced during the chemical reaction. Certain chemical reactions proceed very violently, often including explosions and expansion of gases. The main point of explosives is to produce a violent shock wave, which would cause damage. The chemical reaction is supposed to proceed at a sufficient and high enough rate in order for the expansion of the gases and the heat to occur rapidly; if the chemical reaction does not proceed quickly enough, the resultant gases will slowly dissipate into the atmosphere and the blast wave will not be produced. Since many explosive molecules are based on the benzene ring, the alternating single and double bonds alter and distort the wavelength of absorption of the ultraviolet light; molecules such as beta-carotene contains alternating double and single bonds, which allows the molecule to absorb ultraviolet light at certain wavelengths and emit/reflect another wavelength that is absorbed to the lowest extent. The explosive potential of a molecule depends on the amount of nitrate groups attached to the parent chain of the molecule; for example, the compound, 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene contains three nitrate groups and has a very high explosive potential. Oxygen is obviously required as a fuel to drive the chemical reaction yet the oxygen present in the atmosphere will not sufficiently perform this task because the decomposition reaction will not proceed as rapidly as expected to be applied as weapons. The oxygen atoms have to be incorporated in the molecular structure and have to actually be attached to the nitrogen atoms so that when the compound is detonated, those attached oxygen atoms could quickly swap places, attach to other atoms such as carbon atoms to form new covalent bonds and the possibly form carbon dioxide; oxygen present in the atmosphere is “too far” to relocate this way to produce the gases and heat efficiently enough. Guncotton or nitrocellulose has been accidentally synthesized by Fredriech; however other chemists considered synthesizing other explosive compounds. Ascanio Sobrero, following this incident, studied the how nitric acid influenced certain molecules and prepared an experiment to react glycerin and nitric acid; the glycerin could be isolated from animal fat. Glycerol (propane-1,2,3-triol) serves as a backbone to form a triglyceride, which is the most common form of lipids, or fats. The resultant compound that was isolated from the reaction solution was nitroglycerin. While handling nitroglycerin, many individuals experienced headaches due to vasodilation; this effect has provoked the usage of nitroglycerin to prevent heart attacks and to treat the pain caused by angina pectoris; nitroglycerin releases the small molecule, nitric oxide, NO, which is a powerful vasodilator, which means that it causes the blood vessels to widen and increase the surface area. The dilation of the coronary arteries facilitated an adequate flow of oxygenated blood to the myocardium, which decreases the pain caused by an insufficient flow of oxygenated blood to the heart. Nitric oxide also regulates the blood pressure and transmitting signals between cells, aiding in digestion and the establishment of long-term memory. The first explosive, gunpowder, has been used in China, Arabia, and India to produce weapons, firecrackers, and fireworks. The chemical reaction and the characteristics of gunpowder have been studied by people such as Roger Bacon. The demand for nitroglycerin increased, however the substance has often been mishandled and caused many inconveniences. Nitroglycerin was often contaminated by the acid it was stored with and decomposed slowly, popping the containers they were stored in. In 1866, a sample of nitroglycerin detonated in a Wells Fargo warehouse, causing fourteen casualties. During the war, heavy artillery and cannons contained the two explosive compounds, trinitrotoluene and trinitrophenol. Guns could not contain such explosive compounds such as nitroglycerin because they cannot handle the force that is exerted onto the gun during detonation, however the explosives were launched by hand. Smokeless gunpowder has been composed of nitroglycerin and nitrocellulose. Trinitrotoluene and picric acid (trinitrophenol) have both been applied, however there are differences amongst the two, chemically similar molecules. Both molecules contain three nitrate groups, however picric acid contain a hydroxyl group on carbon 1 and TNT contains a methyl group of carbon 1. Picric acid is very difficult to detonate during humid or rainy weather conditions and it is slightly acidic, which causes it to react with the metal container it was stored in, which could provoke an unanticipated detonation, which would penetrate through armor and induce unintentional casualties. TNT is also difficult to detonate, however it is more suitable for munitions. The TNT molecule contains a lower amount of carbon to oxygen ratio, thus the chemical reaction may not occur completely and it is much safer to handle than nitroglycerin because its behavior is very unpredictable. Habor, one time, reacted nitrogen in the air with hydrogen gas to produce ammonia, which has been used as a fertilizer and has provided many advances and improvements in agriculture to stimulate the rate of growth of various crops; ammonium nitrate has also been used as a fertilizer, however it has also been applied in the warzone as mines. In order to produce the explosive compounds, nitric acid is required. Nitric acid has been formed by reaction sulphuric acid with sodium nitrate to form nitric acid and sodium sulphate. Ammonium nitrate is a safe explosive when handled properly however various incidents and terroristic attacks have occurred, involving ammonium nitrate. For example, during 1993, terrorist have planted a bomb in the World Trade Centre in New York City. One time, in the port of Texas City, a fire has occurred. Immediate countermeasures have been applied and the hatches have been closed where the ammonium nitrate has been stored; however the closed hatchets increased the pressure, compression, and heat conditions on the ship and the load of ammonium nitrate detonated and inflicted many casualties. Explosive molecules have changed civilization and have impacted society due to their applications in war as weapons, however the applications of certain explosive compounds are different today. Nitroglycerin is used to prevent heart attacks and is used as a treatment for the pain induced by angina pectoris. As always, profit has been generated from the trade of explosives and the demand was high, yet the influence on society and history of certain newly synthesized and discovered molecules does not always impart beneficial effects. What used to be applied as an explosive to induce casualties of opponents is now used to support the cardiovascular system and for a different purpose.