Sodium nitrite

The Uses of Sodium nitrite

To ACN (350 mL) at RT was added CuBr2 (67 g, 300 mmol). The mixture was cooled to 0-5 C and was treated dropwise with t-BuONO (72.5 mL, 535 mmol). The mixture was stirred for 5 min, then was added the SM (35 g, 238 mmol). The reaction was stirred at RT for 2 h. EtOAc (525 mL) was added to the mixture and the reaction was quenched with 10% aq NH4Cl (350 mL) and 2% aq NH3 (175 mL). The layers were separated and the aq layer was extracted with EtOAc. The combined organics were dried and concentrated. The resulting material was purified by silica gel chromatography (eluting with 5% EtOAc/hexane) to provide the product as a yellow solid. [35 g, 70%]

Definition

Sodium nitrite is an inorganic sodium salt having nitrite as the counterion. It can be used as a food preservative and antidote to cyanide poisoning. It is a nitrite salt and an inorganic sodium salt.

Environmental Fate

Partition Behavior in Water, Sediment, and Soil
This substance dissociates immediately into sodium and nitrite ions in water. Concentrations of nitrate in rainwater of up to 5mg/L have been observed in industrial areas.

Safety

Sodium nitrite is a yellowish white crystalline solid. Noncombustible but will accelerate the burning of combustible material. If large quantities are involved in a fire or if the combustible material is finely divided, an explosion may result. If contaminated by ammonium compounds, spontaneous decomposition can occur and the resulting heat may ignite surrounding combustible material. Prolonged exposure heat may result in an explosion.Toxic oxides of nitrogen are produced in fires involving Sodium nitrite.

Medical Uses

Sodium nitrite is the most prevalent drug for cyanide poisoning. It takes approximately 12 min to generate approximately 40% of methemoglobin after intravenous administration of the recommended dose. Despite this delay in inducing a significant level of methemoglobinemia, reasonable protection offered by sodium nitrite can be attributed to its vasodilatory effects.