Caesium azide or cesium azide is an inorganic compound of caesium and nitrogen. It is a salt of azide with the formula CsN3.

Caesium azide

Coordination sphere of azide in CsN3
Names
IUPAC name
caesium azide
Other names
cesium azide
Identifiers
3D model (JSmol)
ChemSpider
ECHA InfoCard 100.041.072 Edit this at Wikidata
EC Number
  • 245-196-0
  • InChI=1S/Cs.N3/c;1-3-2/q+1;-1
    Key: AYTVLULEEPNWAX-UHFFFAOYSA-N
  • InChI=1S/Cs.N3/c;1-3-2/q+1;-1
  • [N-]=[N+]=[N-].[Cs+]
Properties[1]
CsN3
Molar mass 174.926 g/mol
Appearance colorless needles
Density 3.5 g/cm3
Melting point 310 °C (590 °F; 583 K)
224.2 g/100 mL (0 °C)
Structure[2]
tetragonal
I4/mcm, No. 140
a = 6.5412 Å, c = 8.0908 Å
4
Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa).

Structure

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CsN3 adopts the same structure as KN3, RbN3, and TlN3, crystallizing in a tetragonal distorted caesium chloride structure where each azide ion coordinates to eight metal cations, and each metal cation coordinates to eight terminal N centers.[2] When heated to 151 °C, it transitions to a cubic structure.[3]

Preparation and reactions

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Caesium azide can be prepared from the neutralization reaction between hydrazoic acid and caesium hydroxide:[4]

CsOH + HN3 → CsN3 + H2O

Caesium carbonate can also be used as the base:

Cs2CO3 + HN3 → CsN3 + CO2 + H2O

Caesium sulfate reacts with barium azide to form insoluble barium sulfate and caesium azide:

Cs2SO4 + Ba(N3)2 → 2CsN3 + BaSO4

The thermal decomposition of CsN3 in vacuo can be used as a method of generating high purity caesium metal:[5]

2 CsN3 → 2 Cs + 3 N2

References

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  1. ^ Perry, Dale L. (18 May 2011). Handbook of Inorganic Compounds. CRC Press. p. 110. ISBN 978-1-4398-1461-1.
  2. ^ a b Müller, Ulrich (1972). "Verfeinerung der Kristallstrukturen von KN3, RbN3, CsN3 und TIN3". Zeitschrift für anorganische und allgemeine Chemie. 392 (2): 159–166. doi:10.1002/zaac.19723920207.
  3. ^ McIntyre, J.E. (ed.). Dictionary of Inorganic Compounds Volume 3: C46 – Zr. Chapman & Hill. p. 3096. ISBN 0-412-30120-2.
  4. ^ Steudel, R.; Schenk, P. W. (1975). "Stickstoff". In Brauer, Georg (ed.). Handbuch der Präparativen Anorganischen Chemie, 3. Auflage, Band I. F. Enke. p. 458. ISBN 3-432-02328-6.
  5. ^ Blatter, Fritz; Schumacher, Ernst (15 January 1986). "Production of high purity caesium". Journal of the Less Common Metals. 115 (2): 307–313. doi:10.1016/0022-5088(86)90153-0.