nitraation

Nitraation is a term sometimes used to refer to the chemical process of introducing a nitro group into a molecule. More commonly called nitration, the process applies to organic compounds and, in some contexts, to surfaces or materials. The resulting products are known as nitro compounds.

In organic synthesis, the most typical form is electrophilic aromatic nitration, in which the nitronium ion NO2+ acts as the electrophile. NO2+ is generated in situ from mixtures of nitric acid and sulfuric acid, and it reacts with an activated aromatic ring to give a nitroarene and a regenerated acid.

Nitration can also occur on aliphatic substrates, under different conditions, introducing nitro groups into carbon chains or allylic positions. These routes may involve metal-catalyzed or radical-based processes and vary with substrate, solvent, and temperature.

Applications include the production of dyes, pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals, and polymers; nitroarenes serve as versatile intermediates that can be reduced to amines or rearranged for diverse products.

Safety and environmental notes: nitration is highly exothermic and uses strong acids; proper processes include temperature control and waste treatment, due to hazards from acids, heat, and toxic nitro compounds.

In some contexts, "nitraation" is simply a misspelling of nitration, or a malapropism used by non-specialists.