Nitric acid rises to 1 at a temperature of 250 °C. Nitric acid can act as a base with respect to an acid such as sulfuric acid: The nitronium ion, , is the active reagent in aromatic nitration reactions. Since nitric acid has both acidic and basic properties, it can undergo an autoprotolysis reaction, similar to the self-ionization of water: Nitric acid reacts with most metals, but the details depend on the concentration of the acid and the nature of the metal. Dilute nitric acid behaves as a typical acid in its reaction with most metals. Magnesium, manganese, and zinc liberate H:
Acid–base reaction these examples. For instance, carbon monoxide acts as a Lewis base when it forms an adduct with boron trifluoride, of formula FB←CO. Adducts involving metal ions are referred to as co-ordination compounds; each ligand donates a pair of electrons to the metal ion. The reaction can be seen as an acid–base reaction in which a stronger base (ammonia) replaces a weaker one (water) The Lewis and Brønsted–Lowry definitions are consistent with each other since the reaction is an acid–base reaction in both theories. One of the limitations of the Arrhenius definition is its reliance on water solutions. Edward Curtis Franklin