Nitric Oxide Gas

Product Description

Nitric oxide (nitrogen oxide^[3] or nitrogen monoxide) is a colorless gas with the formula NO. It is one of the principal oxides of nitrogen. Nitric oxide is a free radical, i.e., it has an unpaired electron, which is sometimes denoted by a dot in its chemical formula, i.e., ·NO. Nitric oxide is also a heteronuclear diatomic molecule, a historic class that drew researches which spawned early modern theories of chemical bonding.^[4]

An important intermediate in chemical industry, nitric oxide forms in combustion systems and can be generated by lightning in thunderstorms. In mammals, including humans, nitric oxide is a signaling molecule in many physiological and pathological processes.^[5] It was proclaimed the "Molecule of the Year" in 1992.^[6] The 1998 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was awarded for discovering nitric oxide's role as a cardiovascular signaling molecule.

Nitric oxide should not be confused with nitrous oxide (N₂O), an anesthetic, or with nitrogen dioxide (NO₂), a brown toxic gas and a major air pollutant