M12- Amine

• Amines


  Organic derivatives of ammonia
• Amines are compounds and functional groups that contain a lone pair of a basic nitrogen atom
• Amines are formal derivatives of ammonia in which one or more hydrogen atoms have been replaced with an alkyl or aryl group
• Amines


  • Ability to form hydrogen bonds
  • Gaseous amine chemicals (methyl, trimethyl, diethyl, ethyl)
• Alkyl amines


  • Liquid
  • Higher-weight amines are solid
• Liquid amines


  • Have a fishy odor
• Gaseous amines


  • Have an ammonia-like odor
• Interaction of amines with aqueous mineral acids and hydroxides

  1. Transformed into salts

  2. Liberated from their salts
• Interaction of amines and alkyl halides

  1. Higher-order amines are created

  2. Nitrogen atom functions as a nucleophile
• Amines have a lone electron pair on their nitrogen atoms and can accept a proton from water to form substituted ammonium (NH4+) ions and hydroxide (OH-) ions
• Amine chemistry is crucial in biology and essential to all living things
• Lower aliphatic amines


  • Gaseous in nature
  • Have a fishy smell
• Primary amines with 3-4 carbon atoms

  • Liquids at room temperature
• Higher amines


  • Solids
• Increase in size of hydrophobic alkyl part

  • Increases molar mass of amines
  • Usually results in decrease in water solubility
• Higher amines


  • Insoluble in water
  • Organic solvents like alcohol, benzene and ether readily dissolve amines
• Aniline and other arylamines


  • Generally colourless
  • Get coloured when stored in open due to atmospheric oxidation
• Lower aliphatic amines


  • Can form hydrogen bonds with water molecules
  • Soluble in water
• Alcohols vs amines


  Alcohols have higher polarity and form stronger intermolecular hydrogen bonds
• Primary and secondary amines

  • Often engaged in intermolecular association due to hydrogen bonding
• Tertiary amines


  • No intermolecular association due to absence of free hydrogen atoms for bonding
• Order of boiling point of amines

  • Primary > Secondary > Tertiary
• Amines


  • Distinctive fishy odor or strong ammonia-like smell
  • Odor due to presence of nitrogen and its reactivity with oxygen to produce aldehydes
• Macrolide antibiotics


  • Natural compounds belonging to polyketide class
  • Consisting of erythromycin, roxithromycin, azithromycin, and clarithromycin
  • Used to treat respiratory, cutaneous, soft tissue, and sexually transmitted diseases, H. pylori and atypical mycobacterial infections
  • Drugs of choice for treating legionnaires disease
• Paracetamol (Acetaminophen)


  • Antipyretic (acts on hypothalamus)
  • Analgesic (inhibits prostaglandin synthesis)
• Chlorphenamine (Chlorpheniramine)


  First-generation antihistamine used to treat symptoms of allergic disorders like rhinitis and urticaria