In chemistry, nitrogen triiodide, also called nitrogen iodide or contact explosive, is a highly explosive compound of nitrogen and iodine, NI3. It explodes with a gunpowder-like snap when touched by even a feather, releasing a volatile cloud of iodine vapour. This occurs via the reaction

2NI3 (s) -> N2 (g) + 3I2 (s)

Nitrogen triiodide should be handled with extreme caution, as the dry compound is known to explode spontaneously. An ammonia complex of NI3 can be synthesized by reacting iodine with ammonia, NH3, by soaking iodine crystals in a solution of ammonia. The aqueous solution is safer to handle than the dry compound.

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