Tetrabutylammonium nitrate

white powder

Tetra-n-butylammonium nitrate is used in coatings, printing ink, rubber, glass, leather and cosmetics. It serves as a supporting electrolyte in liquid ammonia. It is also used in the preparation of nitrates from triflates. It is employed in the inversion of configuration of alcohols through tosylates. It is also a source of NO3- used in nucleophilic substitution reactions. Further, it is used in the conversion of halides into ketones. In addition to this, it is used as a source of nitronium ions for the nitration of olefins, amides, ribonucleosides, glycols and aromatic compounds.

Tetrabutylammonium nitrate (TBAN) is prepared from tetrabutylammonium bromide by passing through Amberlite anionic exchange resin with potassium nitrate. The filtrate is evaporated to dryness and recrystallized from benzene to give pure TBAN as a white crystalline solid.

Crystallise it from *benzene (7mL/g), EtOH or EtOAc (m 121-122o); dry it in a vacuum over P2O5 at 60o for 2 days. [Beilstein 4 IV 558.]