Amidines are organic compounds with the functional group RC(NR)NR2, where the R groups can be the same or different. They are the imine derivatives of amides (RC(O)NR2). The simplest amidine is formamidine, HC(=NH)NH2.
Examples of amidines include:
A common route to primary amidines is the Pinner reaction. Reaction of the nitrile with alcohol in the presence of acid gives an iminoether. Treatment of the resulting compound with ammonia then completes the conversion to the amidine. [1] Instead of using a Bronsted acid, Lewis acids such as aluminium trichloride promote the direct amination of nitriles, [2] or, in certain exceptional cases, of amides. [3] Dimethylformamide acetal reacts with primary amines to give amidines: [4]
Catalysis is likewise not required for direct amination of an imidoyl chloride. [5]
Amidines are also prepared by the addition of organolithium reagents to diimines, followed by protonation or alkylation.
Amidines are much more basic than amides and are among the strongest uncharged/unionized bases. [6] [7]
Protonation occurs at the sp2-hybridized nitrogen. This occurs because the positive charge can be delocalized onto both nitrogen atoms. The resulting cationic species is known as an amidinium ion [8] and possesses identical C-N bond lengths.
Several drug or drug candidates feature amidine substituents. Examples include the antiprotozoal Imidocarb, the insecticide amitraz, the anthelmintic tribendimidine, and xylamidine, an antagonist at the 5HT2A receptor. [9]
Formamidinium (see below) may be reacted with a metal halide to form the light-absorbing semiconducting material in perovskite solar cells. Formamidinium (FA) cations or halides may partially or fully replace methylammonium halides in forming perovskite absorber layers in photovoltaic devices.
Formally, amidines are a class of oxoacids. The oxoacid from which an amidine is derived must be of the form RnE(=O)OH, where R is a substituent. The −OH group is replaced by an −NH2 group and the =O group is replaced by =N R, giving amidines the general structure RnE(=NR)NR2. [10] [11] [12] When the parent oxoacid is a carboxylic acid, the resulting amidine is a carboxamidine or carboximidamide (IUPAC name). Carboxamidines are frequently referred to simply as amidines, as they are the most commonly encountered type of amidine in organic chemistry.
A notable subclass of amidinium ions are the formamidinium cations; which can be represented by the chemical formula [R
2N−CH=NR
2]+
. Deprotonation of these gives stable carbenes which can be represented by the chemical formula R
2N−C:−NR
2. [13] [14]
An amidinate salt has the general structure M+[RNRCNR]− and can be accessed by reaction of a carbodiimide with an organometallic compound such as methyl lithium. [16] They are used widely as ligands in organometallic complexes.
In organic chemistry, an amide, also known as an organic amide or a carboxamide, is a compound with the general formula R−C(=O)−NR′R″, where R, R', and R″ represent any group, typically organyl groups or hydrogen atoms. The amide group is called a peptide bond when it is part of the main chain of a protein, and an isopeptide bond when it occurs in a side chain, as in asparagine and glutamine. It can be viewed as a derivative of a carboxylic acid with the hydroxyl group replaced by an amine group ; or, equivalently, an acyl (alkanoyl) group joined to an amine group.
Pyrimidine is an aromatic, heterocyclic, organic compound similar to pyridine. One of the three diazines, it has nitrogen atoms at positions 1 and 3 in the ring. The other diazines are pyrazine and pyridazine.
In chemistry, an acyl group is a moiety derived by the removal of one or more hydroxyl groups from an oxoacid, including inorganic acids. It contains a double-bonded oxygen atom and an organyl group or hydrogen in the case of formyl group. In organic chemistry, the acyl group is usually derived from a carboxylic acid, in which case it has the formula R−C(=O)−, where R represents an organyl group or hydrogen. Although the term is almost always applied to organic compounds, acyl groups can in principle be derived from other types of acids such as sulfonic acids and phosphonic acids. In the most common arrangement, acyl groups are attached to a larger molecular fragment, in which case the carbon and oxygen atoms are linked by a double bond.
In organic chemistry, an imine is a functional group or organic compound containing a carbon–nitrogen double bond. The nitrogen atom can be attached to a hydrogen or an organic group (R). The carbon atom has two additional single bonds. Imines are common in synthetic and naturally occurring compounds and they participate in many reactions.
In organic chemistry, an acyl halide is a chemical compound derived from an oxoacid by replacing a hydroxyl group with a halide group.
Diazomethane is an organic chemical compound with the formula CH2N2, discovered by German chemist Hans von Pechmann in 1894. It is the simplest diazo compound. In the pure form at room temperature, it is an extremely sensitive explosive yellow gas; thus, it is almost universally used as a solution in diethyl ether. The compound is a popular methylating agent in the laboratory, but it is too hazardous to be employed on an industrial scale without special precautions. Use of diazomethane has been significantly reduced by the introduction of the safer and equivalent reagent trimethylsilyldiazomethane.
Tautomers are structural isomers of chemical compounds that readily interconvert. The chemical reaction interconverting the two is called tautomerization. This conversion commonly results from the relocation of a hydrogen atom within the compound. The phenomenon of tautomerization is called tautomerism, also called desmotropism. Tautomerism is for example relevant to the behavior of amino acids and nucleic acids, two of the fundamental building blocks of life.
An isocyanide is an organic compound with the functional group –N+≡C−. It is the isomer of the related nitrile (–C≡N), hence the prefix is isocyano. The organic fragment is connected to the isocyanide group through the nitrogen atom, not via the carbon. They are used as building blocks for the synthesis of other compounds.
In organic chemistry, an aminal or aminoacetal is a functional group or type of organic compound that has two amine groups attached to the same carbon atom: −C(NR2)(NR2)−.. A common aminal is bis(dimethylamino)methane, a colorless liquid that is prepared by the reaction of dimethylamine and formaldehyde:
In organic chemistry a halohydrin is a functional group in which a halogen and a hydroxyl are bonded to adjacent carbon atoms, which otherwise bear only hydrogen or hydrocarbyl groups. The term only applies to saturated motifs, as such compounds like 2-chlorophenol would not normally be considered halohydrins. Megatons of some chlorohydrins, e.g. propylene chlorohydrin, are produced annually as precursors to polymers.
Organosulfur chemistry is the study of the properties and synthesis of organosulfur compounds, which are organic compounds that contain sulfur. They are often associated with foul odors, but many of the sweetest compounds known are organosulfur derivatives, e.g., saccharin. Nature is abound with organosulfur compounds—sulfur is vital for life. Of the 20 common amino acids, two are organosulfur compounds, and the antibiotics penicillin and sulfa drugs both contain sulfur. While sulfur-containing antibiotics save many lives, sulfur mustard is a deadly chemical warfare agent. Fossil fuels, coal, petroleum, and natural gas, which are derived from ancient organisms, necessarily contain organosulfur compounds, the removal of which is a major focus of oil refineries.
In organic chemistry, a carbodiimide is a functional group with the formula RN=C=NR. On Earth they are exclusively synthetic, but in interstellar space the parent compound HN=C=NH has been detected by its maser emissions.
A superbase is a compound that has a particularly high affinity for protons. Superbases are of theoretical interest and potentially valuable in organic synthesis. Superbases have been described and used since the 1850s.
In organic chemistry, an iminium cation is a polyatomic ion with the general structure [R1R2C=NR3R4]+. They are common in synthetic chemistry and biology.
Cyanamide is an organic compound with the formula CN2H2. This white solid is widely used in agriculture and the production of pharmaceuticals and other organic compounds. It is also used as an alcohol-deterrent drug. The molecule features a nitrile group attached to an amino group. Derivatives of this compound are also referred to as cyanamides, the most common being calcium cyanamide (CaCN2).
Azines are a functional class of organic compounds with the connectivity RR'C=N-N=CRR'. These compounds are the product of the condensation of hydrazine with ketones and aldehydes, although in practice they are often made by alternative routes. Ketazines are azines derived from ketones. For example, acetone azine is the simplest ketazine. Aldazines are azines derived from aldehydes.
In organic chemistry, cyclopropanation refers to any chemical process which generates cyclopropane rings. It is an important process in modern chemistry as many useful compounds bear this motif; for example pyrethroid insecticides and a number of quinolone antibiotics. However, the high ring strain present in cyclopropanes makes them challenging to produce and generally requires the use of highly reactive species, such as carbenes, ylids and carbanions. Many of the reactions proceed in a cheletropic manner.
In chemistry, a sulfenic acid is an organosulfur compound and oxoacid with the general formula R−S−OH. It is the first member of the family of organosulfur oxoacids, which also include sulfinic acids and sulfonic acids, respectively. The base member of the sulfenic acid series with R = H is hydrogen thioperoxide.
Imidoyl chlorides are organic compounds that contain the functional group RC(NR')Cl. A double bond exist between the R'N and the carbon centre. These compounds are analogues of acyl chloride. Imidoyl chlorides tend to be highly reactive and are more commonly found as intermediates in a wide variety of synthetic procedures. Such procedures include Gattermann aldehyde synthesis, Houben-Hoesch ketone synthesis, and the Beckmann rearrangement. Their chemistry is related to that of enamines and their tautomers when the α hydrogen is next to the C=N bond. Many chlorinated N-heterocycles are formally imidoyl chlorides, e.g. 2-chloropyridine, 2, 4, and 6-chloropyrimidines.
In chemistry, the term amide ( or or ) is a compound with the functional group RnE(=O)xNR2, where x is not zero, E is some element, and each R represents an organic group or hydrogen. It is a derivative of an oxoacid RnE(=O)xOH with an hydroxy group –OH replaced by an amine group –NR2.