Nitide

Nitide is a term that has appeared in scattered chemical literature but is not an accepted name for a defined class of compounds in modern nomenclature. In contemporary chemistry, the widely used term nitride denotes compounds containing the nitride ion (N3−) or nitrogen in the −3 oxidation state, as in lithium nitride (Li3N) or various metal nitrides such as titanium nitride (TiN). In those contexts, nitide, when encountered, is typically a misspelling or an archaic variant of nitride rather than a distinct category.

Historical and linguistic notes suggest that some early English and translated texts used nitide as an alternate spelling for nitride or as a general label for nitrogen-containing anions. Such usage has largely fallen out of favor and is not aligned with current IUPAC nomenclature.

Because nitide is not widely recognized in modern chemistry, there are no canonical examples or definitions associated with it. Readers who encounter the term should consider the context and verify that the author intended nitride rather than nitide.

See also: Nitride; Nitrogen; Anion; Nitrides.