Ethyl Nitrate

Ethyl nitrate has formula C₂H₅NO₃. It is used in organic synthesis and as an intermediate in the preparation of some drugs, dyes, and perfumes.

Ethyl nitrate is found in the atmosphere, where it can react with other gases to form smog. Originally thought to be a pollutant, formed mainly by the combustion of fossil fuels, recent analysis of ocean water samples reveal that in places where cool water rises from the deep, the water is saturated with alkyl nitrates, likely formed by natural processes.