1. Dr. Pandit Khakre
Asst. Prof
Mrs. K.S.K. College, Beed

2. Definition of nitroalkane  (plural nitroalkanes)
Any alkane containing a nitro group Nitromethane and nitroethane are nitroalkanes.
Nomeneclature
Nitro compounds are named by adding prefix "nitro" before the name of the parent hydrocarbon. Thus, aliphatic nitro compounds are called nitroalkanes and aromatic ones are called nitroarenes. Arabic numerals are used to indicate the position of Nitro group and other substitutes if any.
The nomenclature of both aliphatic and aromatic nitro compounds are given below.

3. Chemical reaction of nitroalkanes
(a) Reduction : Nitro alkanes  are reduced to corresponding primary amines with Sn and HCl or Fe and HClor catalytic hydrogenation using nickel as catalyst.
However, when compact with a neutral reducing agent (Zinc dust + NH4Cl), nitro alkanes form substituted hydroxylamines.
         
(b) Hydrolysis : Primary nitro alkanes on hydrolysis form hydroxylamine and carboxylic acid.
         
         secondary nitro alkanes on hydrolysis creates ketones.
            
        
(c) Action of nitrous acid : Nitrous acid reacts with primary, secondary and tertiary nitro alkanes differently.
       
  Tertiary nitro alkanes do not act with nitrous acid.

4.          (d) Thermal decomposition : .            
         On rapid heating nitro alkanes decompose with great violence.            
       (e) Halogenation : Primary and secondary nitro alkanes are readily halogenated in the a-position  by treatment with chlorine or bromine.            
         (f) Condensation with aldehyde :            
         (g) Reaction with grignard reagent : The aci-form of nitroalkane reacts with Grignard reagent forming alkane.             
          The nitrogen of -NO2 carrying a positive charge exerts a powerful - I effect and thus activates the hydrogen atom of the a-carbon. Thus the important reactions of nitroalkanes are those which involve a-hydrogen atom of primary and secondary nitroalkanes (tertiary nitroalkanes have no a-hydrogen atom and hence do not undergo such type of reactions).

5. Nitroarenes
Defination -
A nitrohydrocarbon that consists of an arene skeleton substituted by one or more nitro groups at unspecified positions.