[Slickscientist (OP)]

Hi.
For example, when copper rusts, the reaction is 2Cu+→2CuO. The copper reacts with the oxygen in the atmosphere. Is it possible that the copper/any reaction with oxygen can react with the nitrogen in the air?

[Kryptid]

Although oxygen and nitrogen are right next to each other on the periodic table, they have very different properties. Oxygen is a powerful oxidizing agent and readily reacts with a wide variety of other elements. Nitrogen, by contrast, is a highly stable molecule and needs to be prodded in order to react with most other elements. Metal nitrides are usually much less stable than metal oxides.

[Bored chemist]

A few metals will react directly with nitrogen. The best known is probably magnesium.
Burning magnesium is a well known science experiment.
What's less well known is that it you collect the ashes and add a little water you can smell the ammonia produced when the magnesium nitride reacts with water.

[Slickscientist (OP)]

Thank you.

[Janus]

It might be a good idea to explain just why Nitrogen is as non-reactive as it is.  Like oxygen, gaseous Nitrogen forms diatomic molecules, where two nitrogen atoms bond together.   Each Nitrogen atom has 5 electrons in its outer shell, so in order for each atom to feel like it has a full 8 electrons in its outer shell, each atom share 3 electrons with the other. ( 6 total are shared between the two atoms)
Oxygen does the same type of sharing, but since each atom has 6 electrons in its outer shell the atoms only share 2 electrons each ( four total).
Each pair of electrons makes up a bond. 
So the Oxygen molecule has two bonds and the Nitrogen molecule 3 bonds.
In order for either to participate in a reaction with another element, these bonds have to be broken first.
Three bonds are stronger than two, so it is harder to pull the nitrogen atoms apart in order to take part in a reaction.
This makes the Nitrogen molecule more stable and be less reactive.

[Slickscientist (OP)]

Yep, that makes sense. Thanks.