Question

$\mathbf{N}\mathbf{-}\mathbf{N}$bonds?

Short answer

With N-N bonds, nitrogen cannot form stable chains or rings.

Step-by-step solution

Chemical bond

A bond is a long-term attraction between two atoms, molecules, or ions. The attraction between two electrical charges can explain the majority of bonding activity.

Explanation

The most prevalent form of nitrogen is as a diatomic molecule, ${\mathrm{N}}_2$The diatomic molecule is the most stable version of the molecule. While nitrogen can be found in relatively stable compounds (for example, amino acids in proteins), molecules made up of long chains with N-N bonds, such as nylon, are not stable and can decompose, resulting in an explosion. Carbon, on the other hand, forms significantly more stable chains (aromatic, cyclic, and aliphatic), making it a far better contender for proteins, lipids, carbohydrates, and other organic compounds. Nitrogen can be found in the forms of ${\mathrm{NH}}_4^{+}$, ${\mathrm{NO}}_2^{-}$, ${\mathrm{NH}}_3^{-}$ammonia ${\mathrm{NH}}_3$or urea $\mathrm{CO}(\mathrm{N}{\mathrm{H}}_2{)}_2$.

Therefore, N-N bonds make it impossible for nitrogen to build stable chains or rings.