Nitric oxide should not be confused with nitrogen dioxide (NO 2), a brown gas and major air pollutant, or with nitrous oxide (N 2O), an anesthetic gas. [6] Physical properties [ edit ] Electronic configuration [ edit ] Nitric oxide ( nitrogen oxide or nitrogen monoxide [1]) is a colorless gas with the formula NO. It is one of the principal oxides of nitrogen. Nitric oxide is a free radical: it has an unpaired electron, which is sometimes denoted by a dot in its chemical formula ( •N=O or •NO). Nitric oxide is also a heteronuclear diatomic molecule, a class of molecules whose study spawned early modern theories of chemical bonding. [6] An important intermediate in industrial chemistry, 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. [7] It was proclaimed the " Molecule of the Year" in 1992. [8] The 1998 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was awarded for discovering nitric oxide's role as a cardiovascular signalling molecule. [9]

Nitric oxide - Wikipedia Nitric oxide - Wikipedia

displaystyle (1\sigma )