ozonide

Ozonide is an unstable, reactive polyatomic anion O₃⁻, derived from ozone, or an organic compound similar to organic peroxide formed by a reaction of ozone with an unsaturated compound.

Inorganic ozonides

Inorganic ozonides ^[1] are dark red ionic compounds containing the reactive O₃⁻ anion. The anion has the V shape of the ozone molecule.

Inorganic ozonides are formed by burning potassium or heavier alkali metals in ozone, or by treating the alkali metal hydroxide with ozone; if potassium is left undisturbed in air for years it accumulates a covering of superoxide and ozonide. They are very sensitive explosives that have to be handled at low temperatures in an atmosphere consisting of an inert gas. Lithium and sodium ozonide are extremely unstable and must be prepared by low-temperature ion exchange starting from CsO₃, and the pure solids cannot be isolated.

Inorganic ozonides are being investigated as promising sources of oxygen in chemical oxygen generators.

Organic ozonides

Organic ozonides are more explosive cousins of the organic peroxides formed by addition reactions of ozone and unsaturated compounds. They are intermediates in ozonolysis and have a trioxolane ring structure with a five-membered C-O-O-C-O ring.^[2][3] They usually appear in the form of foul-smelling oily liquids, and rapidly decompose in the presence of water to carbonyl compounds: aldehydes, ketones, peroxides. Due to their instability, they are rarely isolated during the course of the ozonolysis reaction sequence.

Formation of an organic ozonide. The second arrow represents several steps as shown in ozonolysis.

See also

• ozonolysis
• ozone
• ozone cracking
• superoxide, O₂⁻
• peroxide, O₂²⁻
• oxide, O²⁻
• dioxygenyl, O₂⁺

References