Editing Nitration (section)

{{short description|Chemical reaction which adds a nitro (–NO₂) group onto a molecule}}
{{Distinguish|Nitrification|Nitrosation|Nitriding}}

In [[organic chemistry]], '''nitration''' is a general class of [[chemical process]]es for the introduction of a [[nitro group]] ({{chem2|\sNO2}}) into an [[organic compound]]. The term also is applied incorrectly to the different process of forming [[nitrate ester]]s ({{chem2|\sONO2}}) between [[Alcohol (chemistry)|alcohol]]s and [[nitric acid]] (as occurs in the [[Organic synthesis|synthesis]] of [[nitroglycerin]]). The difference between the resulting [[molecular structure]]s of nitro compounds and [[nitrate]]s ({{chem2|NO3-}}) is that the [[nitrogen]] atom in nitro compounds is directly [[Chemical bond|bonded]] to a non-[[oxygen]] atom (typically [[carbon]] or another nitrogen atom), whereas in nitrate esters (also called organic nitrates), the nitrogen is bonded to an oxygen atom that in turn usually is bonded to a carbon atom (nitrito group). 

There are many major industrial applications of nitration in the strict sense; the most important by volume are for the production of nitroaromatic compounds such as [[nitrobenzene]]. The technology is long-standing and mature.<ref>*{{cite book|author=Schofield, K.|title=Nitration and Aromatic Reactivity|publisher=Cambridge University Press|location=Cambridge|year=1971}}</ref><ref name="Booth"/><ref>{{cite book|last1=Olahfirst1=G.A.|last2=Malhotra|first2=R.|last3=Narang|first3=S.C. |title=Nitration: Methods and Mechanisms|publisher=VCH|location=
NY|year=1989|isbn= 978-0-471-18695-3}}</ref>

:[[File:Nitration_reaction_equation_example.svg|frameless|303x303px]]

Nitration reactions are notably used for the production of explosives, for example the conversion of [[guanidine]] to [[nitroguanidine]] and the conversion of [[toluene]] to [[trinitrotoluene]] (TNT). Nitrations are, however, of wide importance as virtually all aromatic amines ([[aniline]]s) are produced from nitro precursors. Millions of tons of nitroaromatics are produced annually.<ref name="Booth">{{cite encyclopedia|author=Gerald Booth|title=Nitro Compounds, Aromatic|encyclopedia=Ullmann's Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry|year=2007|publisher=Wiley-VCH|location=Weinheim|doi=10.1002/14356007.a17_411|isbn=978-3527306732}}</ref>