Imidogen

Imidogen (systematically named λ¹-azane and hydridonitrogen), also called aminylene or nitrene, is and inorganic compound with the chemical formula NH (also written [NH]). Imidogen can be synthesized from an ammonia discharge; the resulting radicals are highly reactive and consequently short lived, but form an important part of radical chemistry. Imidogen is interesting in that it reacts differently depending on its spin multiplicity. Also, it has a triplet ground state. In sufficiently high concentrations, imidogen polymerizes to form triazidine that, without stabilizing substituents, is in itself only a metastable molecule.

Nomenclature

The trivial name nitrene is the preferred IUPAC name. The systematic names, λ¹-azane and hydridonitrogen, valid IUPAC names, are constructed according to the substitutive and additive nomenclatures, respectively.

In appropriate contexts, imidogen can be viewed as ammonia with two hydrogen atoms removed, and as such, azylidene may be used as a context-specific systematic name, according to substitutive nomenclature. By default, this name pays no regard to the radicality of the imidogen molecule. Although, in even more specific context, it can also name the non-radical state, whereas the diradical state is named azanediyl.