Does nitrous oxide decolorize potassium permanganate?

My teacher says that nitrous oxide can't form any complex with manganese in aqueous solution, so it can't be oxidised. However, shouldn't it get oxidised as it is present in the intermediate oxidation state of nitrogen?




Your teacher is partially right. Potassium permanganate solution is used for cleaning/scrubbing nitrous oxide for medical uses. If the nitrous oxide contains nitrogen oxide, NO, as an impurity it will certainly decolorize the solution but if pure nitrous oxide is being bubbled through potassium permanganate solution then the color will stay as it is. This is one of the ways to do chemical analysis of this gas. It is not that nitrous oxide cannot be oxidized or reduced under any conditions because it is an intermediate oxidation state. This is a fallacy and there are no free manganese ions in potassium permanganate.


 4