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Sodium nitride
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<p>Sodium nitride is the <a href="/facts/Inorganic_compound/TfFfzxSz">inorganic compound</a> with the <a href="/facts/Chemical_formula/hghUtthl">chemical formula</a> Na3N. In contrast to <a href="/facts/Lithium_nitride/azAzTMyj">lithium nitride</a> and some other <a href="/facts/Nitride/9vkrCbJ4">nitrides</a>, sodium nitride is an extremely unstable <a href="/facts/Alkali_metal/IkWbCLk2">alkali metal</a> <a href="/facts/Nitride/9vkrCbJ4">nitride</a>. It can be generated by combining atomic beams of <a href="/facts/Sodium/eYuSPu2V">sodium</a> and <a href="/facts/Nitrogen/Nf1QpGDz">nitrogen</a> deposited onto a low-temperature <a href="/facts/Sapphire/C11GJAmm">sapphire</a> substrate. It readily decomposes into its elements: </p> 2 Na3N → 6 Na + N2