Skip to main content
AMINES
Introduction And classification
■ Amines are derivatives of ammonia in which one or
more hydrogens are replaced with alkyl or aryl
groups.
■ Alkyl-substituted (alkylamines) or aryl-
substituted (arylamines)
■ Classified:
– 1° (RNH2) Primary amine
– 2° (R2NH) Secondary amine
– 3° (R3N) Tertiary amine
– 4° (𝑹𝟒N) Quaternary amine
They are actually quaternary ammonium salts
N
H
H R N
R
H R
N
R
R R
Primary Secondary Tertiary
N
R
R R
R
X
Quaternar
y
nomenclature
■ For simple amines, the suffix -amine is added to the
name of the alkyl substituent
NH2
tert-butylamine
H2N
cyclohexanamine
H2N
NH2
1,4-butandiamine
N
H3C
N-Methyl-Cyclohexanamine
H
N N
N,N-Dimethyl-4-aminopyridine
IUPAC Names – Simple Amines
IUPAC Names – Amines With More Than One Functional
Group
nomenclature
■ Consider the NH2 as an amino substituent on the
parent molecule
synthesis
1) Reaction of alkyl halide with ammonia
■ CH3I + H-NH2 → CH3NH2 + HI
2) Reduction of alcohol with ammonia
(In presence of Al2O3 and 400C)
CH3OH + H-NH2 → CH3NH2 + H2O
synthesis
3) REDUCTION OF NITROALKANE: (in presence of pt/Ni/ LiAl
H4)
CH3NO2 + 3H2 → CH3NH2 + 2H2O
4) REDUCTION OF NITRILES: (in presence of LiAl H4 and
ether)
CH3C≡N + 4 [H] → CH3CH2NH2
5) REDUCTION OF AMIDES: (in presence of LiAl H4 and ether)
CH3CONH2 + 4 [H] → CH3CH2NH2 + H2O
Physical properties
 The lower aliphatic amines are gaseous in nature and they have fishy smell
 Primary amines with three or four carbons are liquid in nature whereas
higher ones are solids
 They get color due to oxidation in open environment
 Lower aliphatic amines can form hydrogen bonds with water thus they are
water soluble
 Soluble in benzene, ether etc
 Increase in size of hydrophobic alkyl part increases in molar mass and
ultimately boiling point increases
 In tertiary amines there is no inter-molecular association due to absence of
hydrogen atom for H-bonding so no solubility in water is there.
Chemical properties
1) Salt Formation
2) Reaction with acid chloride
CH3 − NH2 + CH3-CO-Cl → CH3 − CO − NH − CH3 + HCl
N-methyl acetamide
CH3CH2NH2 + HCl → CH3CH2-NH3+ Cl-
Chemical properties
3) Reaction with Nitrous Acid
 Primary amines react with nitrous acid to form alcohols and nitrogen gas.
𝑅 − 𝑁𝐻2 + 𝐻𝑂𝑁𝑂 → 𝑅𝑂𝐻 + 𝑁2 ↑ + 𝐻2𝑂
𝐶2𝐻5 −𝑁𝐻2 + 𝐻𝑂𝑁𝑂 → 𝐶2𝐻5𝑂𝐻 + 𝑁2 ↑ + 𝐻2𝑂
ethylamine Ethyl
alcohol
Pharmaceutical uses
 Amines are largely used in pharmaceutical
industry
 Morphine and Demerol are used as analgesics
that are pain killers
 Novocaine is used as anesthetic.
 Tetramethyl ammonium iodide for disinfecting
drinking water
 These are involved in the creation of amino
acids which are the building blocks of
proteins.
 Many amines are used in industry for pest
control and tanning of leather.
 Many vitamins are also built from amino acids.