Physical properties and mechanisms of formation of nitrous oxide

The role of nitrous oxide (N2O) in the global nitrogen cycle is discussed. Nitrous oxide is an important trace component of the Earth's atmosphere with a 120-year atmospheric residence time. It exhibits a global warming potential 310 times that of CO2 on a per molecule basis, and like CO2, its atmospheric concentration is increasing. Nitrous oxide is produced naturally as a byproduct of nitrification and denitrification. There are also several anthropogenic sources. Structural, physical, spectroscopic, bonding, thermodynamic, and solution properties of NO2 are reviewed. The reactions known to yield N2O are surveyed. Fundamental chemical kinetics and mechanisms that lead to its formation are discussed, which emphasize our research involving nitric acid, nitric oxide, and ammonium nitrate as N2O precursors. These results are discussed in the context of their relevance to biological and environmental chemistry. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science S.A. All rights reserved.