Ethyl nitrate

Ethyl nitrate is the ethyl ester of nitric acid and has the chemical formula C2H5NO3. It is a colourless, volatile, explosive, and extremely flammable liquid. It is used in organic synthesis with use as a nitrating agent and as an intermediate in the preparation of some drugs, dyes, and perfumes. Like nitroglycerin, it's a vasodialator.

Ethyl nitrate is found in the atmosphere, where it can react with other gases to form smog. The pollutant was originally thought to have been formed mainly by the combustion of fossil fuels. However recent analysis of ocean water samples reveal that in places where cool water rises from the deep, the water is saturated with alkyl nitrates, likely formed by natural processes.

Preparation
Ethyl nitrate has been prepared by bubbling gaseous nitryl fluoride through ethanol at −10 °C. The reaction was subsequently studied in detail.

Ethyl nitrate can be prepared by nitrating ethanol with fuming nitric acid or a mixture of concentrated sulfuric and nitric acids. Urea should be added to remove any nitrous acid and prevent explosion. Further purifying by distillation carries a risk of explosion.

A nucleophilic substitution reaction of ethyl halides and silver nitrate can also yield ethyl nitrate. Again, purification poses explosion risks.

Chemical reactions
Ethyl nitrate can be reduced with stannous chloride to form hydroxylammonium chloride, though product separation is somewhat difficult.

Explosive properties
Ethyl nitrate is a sensitive explosive that is prone to detonating upon impact or high temperatures, though is less so than methyl nitrate. It has a detonation velocity of 6,010 m/s, and is therefore a high explosive.