6.4 Nitrogen Compounds

• Amines


  Derivatives of ammonia, one or more hydrogen replaced by an alkyl or aryl group
• Amines


  • Nitrogen atom can accept a proton, acts as base
  • Lone pair electrons can donate to M+ to form a dative bond
• Preparing amines


  1. Haloalkane + ammonia: nucleophilic substitution, ammonia replaces halogen

  2. Reduction of nitriles: nitrile vapour + H2(g) over nickel catalyst forms primary amine

  3. Haloalkane + primary amine: nucleophilic substitution, amine replaces halogen forms secondary amine
• Forming phenylamine


  Nitro benzene reduced to phenylamine with tin (Sn) and concentrated HCl, then react with excess NaOH(aq)
• Amino acids


  • Amphoteric - act as both acid and base
  • Undergo reactions with acids and bases
• Esterifying amino acids


  React with alcohol and H2SO4 (forms NH3+)
• Amides


  • Formed from condensation reactions of carboxylic acids or acyl chlorides and ammonia or amines
  • General structure R-C(O)-NR2
  • Primary amide - one C bonded to amide N
  • Secondary amide - two Cs bonded to amide N
  • Tertiary amide - three Cs bonded to amide N
• Naming amides: Primary - suffix "-amide", Secondary - alkyl chain prefixed with N-, Tertiary - same as secondary