Acetyl nitrate is the

organic compound In chemistry, organic compounds are generally any chemical compounds that contain carbon-hydrogen or carbon-carbon bonds. Due to carbon's ability to catenate (form chains with other carbon atoms), millions of organic compounds are known. The ...

with the formula CH₃C(O)ONO₂. It is classified as the mixed anhydride of nitric and acetic acids. It is a colorless explosive liquid that fumes in moist air.

Synthesis and reactions

It is prepared from acetic anhydride and

dinitrogen pentoxide Dinitrogen pentoxide is the chemical compound with the formula , also known as nitrogen pentoxide or nitric anhydride. It is one of the binary nitrogen oxides, a family of compounds that only contain nitrogen and oxygen. It exists as colourless c ...

or with nitric acid: :(CH₃CO)₂O + HNO₃ → CH₃C(O)ONO₂ + CH₃COOH It hydrolyzes in moist air to acetic acid and nitric acid. Alternatively, nitric acid adds to ketene. It is used for some

nitration In organic chemistry, nitration is a general class of chemical processes for the introduction of a nitro group into an organic compound. The term also is applied incorrectly to the different process of forming nitrate esters between alcohols an ...

s and

nitrolysis Nitrolysis is a chemical reaction involving cleavage ("lysis") of a chemical bond concomitant with installation of a nitro group (NO2). Typical reagents for effecting this conversion are nitric acid and acetyl nitrate. A commercially important ...

reactions.Louw, Robert "Acetyl nitrate" e-EROS Encyclopedia of Reagents for Organic Synthesis 2001, 1-2. {{doi, 10.1002/047084289X.ra032 It acetylates amines, akin to the behavior of

acetyl chloride Acetyl chloride (CH3COCl) is an acyl chloride derived from acetic acid. It belongs to the class of organic compounds called acid halides. It is a colorless, corrosive, volatile liquid. Its formula is commonly abbreviated to AcCl. Synthesis On a ...

: :2NH3 + CH3C(O)ONO2 -> NH4NO3 + CH3CONH2 :

References

A. Pictet, E. Khotinsky: ''Über Acetylnitrat.'' in '' Chem. Ber.'' 40, 1907, S. 1163–1166, doi:10.1002/cber.190704001172. Explosive chemicals Nitrates Acid anhydrides Liquid explosives