Editing Cyanogen (section)

==Preparation==
Cyanogen is typically generated from [[cyanide]] compounds. One laboratory method entails thermal decomposition of [[mercury(II) cyanide|mercuric cyanide]]:
:{{chem2|2 Hg(CN)2 → (CN)2 + Hg2(CN)2}}
Or, one can combine solutions of copper(II) salts (such as [[copper(II) sulfate]]) with cyanides; an unstable copper(II) cyanide is formed which rapidly decomposes into [[copper(I) cyanide]] and cyanogen.<ref>{{cite journal | title = The Synthesis And Chemistry Of Cyanogen |author1=Brotherton, T. K. |author2=Lynn, J. W. | journal = [[Chemical Reviews]] | year = 1959 | volume = 59 | issue = 5 | pages = 841–883 | doi = 10.1021/cr50029a003}}</ref>
:{{chem2|2 CuSO4 + 4 [[Potassium cyanide|KCN]] → (CN)2 + 2 [[CuCN]] + 2 [[K2SO4]]}}

Industrially, it is created by the [[oxidation]] of [[hydrogen cyanide]], usually using [[chlorine]] over an activated [[silicon dioxide]] [[catalyst]] or [[nitrogen dioxide]] over a [[copper]] salt. It is also formed when [[nitrogen]] and [[acetylene]] are reacted by an electrical spark or discharge.<ref>{{cite journal |title=The Fixation of Atmospheric Nitrogen |author= Breneman, A. A. |journal=[[Journal of the American Chemical Society]] |volume=11 |issue=1 |pages=2–27 |date=January 1889 |doi=10.1021/ja02126a001|url= https://zenodo.org/record/1428969}}</ref>