Cadmium nitride

Cadmium nitride is a nitride of cadmium with the chemical formula Cd3N2.

Preparation
Cadmium nitride can be produced by thermal decomposition of cadmium amide at 180 °C:


 * 3 Cd(NH2)2 -> Cd3N2 + 4 NH3

It can also be produced by thermal decomposition of cadmium azide at 210 °C.

Properties
Cadmium nitride is a black solid that decomposes on contact with water and air. It will explode when reacting with dilute acids or alkalis. It is a crystal of inverse manganese(III) oxide structure with lattice constant a = 1079 pm.