Silver azide is the chemical compound with the formula AgN3. It is a silver(I) salt of hydrazoic acid. It forms a colorless crystals. Like most azides, it is a primary explosive.

Structure and chemistry

Silver azide can be prepared by treating an aqueous solution of silver nitrate with sodium azide. The silver azide precipitates as a white solid, leaving sodium nitrate in solution. X-ray crystallography shows that AgN3 is a coordination polymer with square planar Ag+ coordinated by four azide ligands. Correspondingly, each end of each azide ligand is connected to a pair of Ag+ centers. The structure consists of two-dimensional AgN3 layers stacked one on top of the other, with weaker Ag–N bonds between layers. The coordination of Ag+ can alternatively be described as highly distorted 4 + 2 octahedral, the two more distant nitrogen atoms being part of the layers above and below. In its most characteristic reaction, the solid decomposes explosively, releasing nitrogen gas: The first step in this decomposition is the production of free electrons and azide radicals; thus the reaction rate is increased by the addition of semiconducting oxides. Pure silver azide explodes at 340 °C, but the presence of impurities lowers this down to 270 °C. This reaction has a lower activation energy and initial delay than the corresponding decomposition of lead azide.

Safety

AgN3, like most heavy metal azides, is a dangerous primary explosive. Decomposition can be triggered by exposure to ultraviolet light or by impact. Ceric ammonium nitrate [NH4]2[Ce(NO3)6] is used as an oxidising agent to destroy AgN3 in spills.