Dinitrogen pentoxide is a chemical compound made of nitrogen and oxygen with formula N2O5. The nitrogen has oxidation number +5 and the oxygen has oxidation number −2.
This substance has the form of white crystals. It is not stable and slowly decomposes into NO2 (nitrogen dioxide) and O2.
When mixed with water, dinitrogen pentoxide produces nitric acid (HNO3), as such nitrogen pentoxide is the acidic anhydride of nitric acid. It is a white solid, a strong oxidising agent, but at room temperature it easily decomposes to nitrogen tetroxide and oxygen.
