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Amyl Nitrate/Nitrite?


Daecon

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Are Amyl Nitrate and Amyl Nitrite two different chemicals?

 

Some sources say they are and some say they aren't.

 

Which is which' date=' and why is there a difference?[/quote']

 

They are different yes:

Amyl Nitrate has the formula [ce]C5H11NO3[/ce]

Amyl Nitrite has the formula [ce]C5H11NO2[/ce] so they are definatly different :)

 

The postfix ite normally means there is 1 less Oxygen atom present than the normal and ths the Oxidation state of the Oxygen(s) in the compound are greater :)

 

Cheers,

 

Ryan Jones

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There are a number of nitrogen/oxygen groups in organics:

 

nitrate = -O-NO2

nitrite = -O-NO

nitro = -NO2

 

E.g. CH3-ONO is a gas, called methylnitrite

CH3NO2 is a colorless oily liquid, called nitromethane.

 

The compound CH3-O-NO2 is called methylnitrate. This is a VERY unstable compound, really hard to synthesise (if at all possible).

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Ah' date=' I see. Thanks.

 

Does this mean they have different physiological effects, then?[/quote']

 

They are different so the odds are it will have a different effect because the compounds will not behave the same way :)

 

For example there are isomers of a lot of the hydrocarbons with the same formula but different internal bond structures and these behave very differerently from the actual hydrocarbon in a lot of the cases so I presule the same applies here, especially because they have differnent formulas :)

 

Cheers,

 

Ryan Jones

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Hmm... so you if you wanted to use Nanny Ogg's angina medicine during your next liason with the hunk down the road, you'd probably be disappointed that it didn't have any effect, or worse - that it would make things a lot less... "potent"?

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to throw another Spanner in the works' date=' there`s also ALKYL NITRite/ate too :P

 

 

(I just love being cruel this time of year, it`s so unexpected!)[/quote']

 

Nothing like ruining the X-mas jot of others ;)

 

Also, just for reference:

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alkyl_nitrites

 

There are also:

Butyl Nitrite, Ethyl Nitrite, Methyl Nitrite etc.

Butyl Nitrate, Ethyl Nitrate, Methyl Nitrate etc.

 

Cheers,

 

Ryan Jones

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