Deville rebooted – practical N2O5 synthesis

Abstract

Dinitrogen pentoxide (N₂O₅), the anhydride of nitric acid, was synthesised by Henri Étienne Sainte-Claire Deville in Paris in 1849 using silver nitrate and chlorine gas. Herein, we revisit, optimise, and modify Deville's method using photocatalysis to enable a safe, clean, practical, and reproducible alternative for N₂O₅ synthesis in quantitative yields. Moreover, it is predicted that the modifications can accommodate an industrial scale-up, but the silver chloride generated must be recycled.