Primary aliphatic amines with \(\mathrm{HNO}_2\) ( Nitrous acid)-
Primary amines react with \(\mathrm{HNO}_2\) and give a very unstable diazonium alkyl ion in form of alkyl diazonium salt, not even stable enough to isolate and it decomposes very rapidly in the product with the evolution of nitrogen gas.
Chemical reaction-
\(\mathrm{R}-\mathrm{NH}_2 \overset{{\mathrm{HONO}, \mathrm{HCl}, \Delta}}{\longrightarrow} \quad R-\mathrm{N}^{+} \equiv N \stackrel{\text { immediately }}{\longrightarrow} \mathrm{R}^{+}+\mathrm{N} 2\)
\(\mathrm{R}^{+} \stackrel{\mathrm{H}_2 \mathrm{O}, \Delta}{\longrightarrow} \mathrm{R}-\mathrm{OH}\)
Primary aromatic amines with \(\mathrm{HNO}_2\) - Primary aromatic amines form arenediazonium salts which are stable for a short time in solution at low temperatures (273-278 K). At higher temperatures the diazonium salt formed is unstable.
Chemical reaction-
\(\mathrm{Ar}-\mathrm{NH}_2 \stackrel{\mathrm{HONO}, \mathrm{HCl}, \Delta}{\longrightarrow} \quad A r-N^{+} \equiv \mathrm{NCl}^{-}\)(stable aromatic diazonium salt at low temperature)
\(\mathrm{Ar}-\mathrm{N}^{+} \equiv \mathrm{NCl}^{-} \stackrel{\mathrm{H}_2 \mathrm{O}, \Delta}{\longrightarrow} \mathrm{Ar}-\mathrm{OH}+\mathrm{N}_2 \uparrow\)