Nitrate chlorides are mixed anion compounds that contain both nitrate (NO<sub>3</sub><sup>âÂÂ</sup>) and chloride (Cl<sup>âÂÂ</sup>) ions. Various compounds are known, including amino acid salts, and also complexes from iron group, rare-earth, and actinide metals. Complexes are not usually identified as nitrate chlorides, and would be termed chlorido nitrato complexes.
Nitrate chloride compounds may be formed by mixing solutions of chloride and nitrate slats, the addition of nitric acid to a chloride salt solution, or the addition of hydrochloric acid to a nitrate solution. Most commonly water is used as a solvent, but other solvents such as methylene dichloride, methanol or ethanol can be used.