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Nitrous Oxide (N₂O)

Nitrous oxide is also known as dinitrogen oxide and dinitrogen monoxide and has the chemical formula N2O. The linear nitrous oxide molecule consists of a nitrogen atom bound to a nitrogen atom, which is bound to an oxygen atom.  At room temperature (20^oC), nitrous oxide is unreactive with most agents. It is a colorless, nearly odorless gas first discovered in 1793 by the English Unitarian, James Priestley. Nitrous oxide liquefies at approximately 50 atm. Near the ground, nitrous oxide is regarded as a pollutant and is generated by inefficient combustion processes.

Effects on Humans

Often referred to as 'laughing gas,' nitrous oxide is a dissociative analgesic that can cause euphoria, dizziness, loss of motor skills, and other side effects. Following its discovery, the gas was used predominately as a recreational drug. Its use as a anesthetic in dentistry and clinical medicine began in the 1840s and continues today.

N₂O and Climate Change

Nitrous oxide increases by 0.25% annually in the atmosphere. The addition of nitrous oxide modifies ozone stratospheric chemistry and has an associated 5% negative feedback. Emission sources of nitrous oxidevary greatly over small spatial and temporal scales, with 60% of emissions occurring in the Northern hemisphere.

Emissions from soils are currently postulated as the largest emission source. Anthropogenic sources account for roughly 50% of emissions and are dominated by agricultural processes.

Industrial sources from nylon and nitric acid production and the combustion of fossil fuels comprise around 15% of anthropogenic emissions. N2O has little or no vertical gradient in the troposphere and is destroyed by stratospheric photo dissociation and subsequent reaction with oxygen free radicals. It is contested whether a brief decrease in atmospheric concentration rise in the early 1990s was caused by the eruption of Mt. Pinatubo or decreased use of agricultural fertilizers.

Detection

Our databases include more than 160 spectral absorption bands of nitrous oxide from 0-5132cm^-1. More than 26,000 lines are included in Genspect simulation databases. The following figure shows a typical calculation of the spectral region 900-960 cm^-1 for a laboratory cell containing nitrous oxide at room temperature and pressure. To run calculations customized for your applications, apply now for a Genspect account.

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