Skip to main content
1 of 5
Nilay Ghosh
  • 26.8k
  • 27
  • 95
  • 205

Oxygen and nitrogen actually react to form nitric oxide.

$$\ce{O2 + N2 ⇄ 2NO}$$

Oxygen react with nitrogen to produce nitrogen(II) oxide. This reaction takes place at the high temperature[about 2000°C(without catalyst) ; 1200-1300°C(with catalyst)), an overpressure and in the presence of a catalyst. In this reaction, the catalyst is can be platinum, manganese(IV) oxide.(Chemiday)

In wikipedia article of nitric oxide, it is written that:

The uncatalyzed endothermic reaction of oxygen (O2) and nitrogen (N2), which is performed at high temperature (>2000 °C) by lightning has not been developed into a practical commercial synthesis (see Birkeland–Eyde process):

$$\ce{N2 + O2 → 2 ·NO}$$

From a thermodynamic perspective, ·NO is unstable with respect to O2 and N2, although this conversion is very slow at ambient temperatures in the absence of a catalyst. Because the heat of formation of ·NO is endothermic, its synthesis from molecular nitrogen and oxygen requires elevated temperatures above 1000 °C.

Nilay Ghosh
  • 26.8k
  • 27
  • 95
  • 205