The Amines

Amines are compounds with one, two or three of the hydrogen atoms of ammonia (NH3) replaced by an alkyl or aromatic group. 

Structural isomerism A primary amine Secondary Tertiary 

When all four H atoms of an ammonium ion are replaced by alkyl or aryl groups, compounds similar to ammonium salts are formed, as shown in Table 7.3.1. 

Many of the amines have a fishy smell, and as early as 1851 trimethylamine was isolated by distillation of herring with lime and was called fish-gas . Methylamine CH3NH2 Ethylamine C2H5NH2 Phenylamine QH5NH2 Dimethylamine (CH,)2NH Methylethylamine (CH3)(C2H5)NH Trimethylamine (CH3)3N R Tetramethylammonium ion (CH3 4N  

The smaller and earlier members of the amine series are gases, whereas the later ones are liquids or crystals. 

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They are prepared by the action of HNO2 on aromatic amines. The amine is dissolved in excess of mineral acid and sodium nitrite is added slowly until a slight excess of HNO2 is present. The reaction is usually carried out in ice-cold solution. The solution then contains the diazonium salt of the mineral acid used, anhydrous diazonium salts of unpredictable stability may be precipitated with complex anions like PF , SnCl6 BF4 . 

N-phenylhydroxylamine, PhNHOH and further reduction can give azoxybenzene, azobenzene, hydrazobenzene and aniline. The most important outlet commercially for the nitro-compounds is the complete reduction to the amines for conversion to dyestufTs. This is usually done in one stage with iron and a small amount of hydrochloric acid. 

The sulphonic acids are usually prepared by the action of sulphuric acid upon a compound. The concentration of the acid and the temperature of reaction are varied according to the reactivity of the compound. Often oleum is used or even chiorosulphonic acid. Alternatively sulphur trioxide complexed to pyridine or dioxan can be used with reactive substrates. Aminosulphonic acids such as sulphanilic and naphthionic acids are most conveniently prepared by heating the sulphate of the amine at ISO C. 

A certain amount of hydrolysis of the original acetamide to acid and ammonia always occurs, and the final amine always contains traces of ammonia. This is separated by extracting the mixed anhydrous hydrochlorides with absolute ethanol, which dissolves the amine hydrochloride but not the ammonium chloride filtration of the hot ethanolic extract removes the ammonium chloride, whilst the amine hydrochloride crystallises readily from the filtrate on cooling. 

Identification of Amines. Picric acid combines with many amines to give crystalline picrates, of general formula B,(NO )aCeHjOH, where B is a molecule of a monacidic base. These picrates have usually sharp melting- or decomposition-points, and serve to characterise the amines concerned. They may be formed either by (a) direct union of the acid and the base in a suitable solvent, or (6) by the interaction of sodium picrate and a salt of the amine in aqueous solution. 

In preparing an aqueous sol ution of a diazonium salt, such as benzene-diazonium chloride, it is usual to dissolve the amine in a slight excess (about 2 2 molecular equivalents) of dilute hydrochloric acid (or alternatively to dissolve the crystalline amine hydrochloride in i 2 equivalents of the acid) and then add an aqueous solution of a metallic nitrite. Nitrous acid is thus generated in situ, and reacts with the amine salt to give the diazonium compound. For a successful preparation of an aqueous solution of the diazonium salt, however, two conditions must always be observed ... 

Add 20 g. of /)-bromoaniline to 20 ml. of water in a 250 ml. beaker, and warm the mixture until the amine melts. Now add 23 ml. of concentrated hydrochloric acid and without delay stir the mixture mechanically in an ice-water bath, so that a paste of fine /> bromo-aniline hydrochloride crystals separates. Maintain the temperature of the stirred mixture at about 5° whilst slowly adding from a dropping-funnel a solution of 8 5 g. of sodium nitrite in 20 ml. of water con tinue the stirring for 20 minutes after the complete addition of the nitrite. 

The nitrosamines are insoluble in water, and the lower members are liquid at ordinary temperatures. The separation of an oily liquid when an aqueous solution of an amine salt is treated with sodium nitrite is therefore strong evidence that the amine is secondary. Diphenylnitrosoamine is selected as a preparation because it is a crystalline substance and is thus easier to manipulate on a small scale than one of the lower liquid members. For this preparation, a fairly pure (and therefore almost colourless) sample of diphenyl-amine should be used. Technical diphenylamine, which is almost black in colour, should not be employed. 

The most noteworthy reaction of azo-compounds is their behaviour on reduction. Prolonged reduction first saturates the azo group, giving the hydrazo derivative (C NH-NH C), and then breaks the NH NH linkage, with the formation of two primary amine molecules. If method (1) has been employed to prepare the azo-compound, these two primary amines will therefore be respectively (a) the original amine from which the diazonium salt was prepared, and (6) the amino derivative of the amine or phenol with which the diazonium salt was coupled. For example, amino-azobenzene on complete reduction gives one equivalent of aniline, and one of p-phenylene diamine, NHaCeH NH benzene-azo-2-naphthoI similarly gives one equivalent of aniline and one of... 

Aldehydes and ketones may be converted into the corresponding primary amines by reduction of their oximes or hydrazones (p. 93). A method of more limited application, known as the Leuckart Reaction, consists of heating the carbonyl compound with ammonium formate, whereby the formyLamino derivative is formed, and can be readily hydrolysed by acids to the amine. Thus acetophenone gives the i-phenylethylformamide, which without isolation can be hydrolysed to i-phenylethylamine. 

Chill the concentrated solution of the amine hydrochloride in ice-water, and then cautiously with stirring add an excess of 20% aqueous sodium hydroxide solution to liberate the amine. Pour the mixture into a separating-funnel, and rinse out the flask or basin with ether into the funnel. Extract the mixture twice with ether (2 X25 ml.). Dry the united ether extracts over flake or powdered sodium hydroxide, preferably overnight. Distil the dry filtered extract from an apparatus similar to that used for the oxime when the ether has been removed, distil the amine slowly under water-pump pressure, using a capillary tube having a soda-lime guard - tube to ensure that only dry air free from carbon dioxide passes through the liquid. Collect the amine, b.p. 59-61°/12 mm. at atmospheric pressure it has b.p. 163-164°. Yield, 18 g. 

Dissolve 12 g. of the amine in 50 ml. of fresh 40% formalin in a flask fitted with a reflux water-condenser. Cool the mixture. 

Cool the solution thoroughly in ice-water, and then make it alkaline by the cautious addition (with stirring or shaking) of a solution of 80 g. of sodium hydroxide in ca, 150 ml. of water. Now isolate the free tertiary amine by steam-distillation into hydrochloric acid, etc., precisely as for the primary amine in Stage (D), but preferably using a smaller flask for the final distillation. Collect the 2-dimethylamino- -octane, b.p. 76-78715 mm. Yield, 13-14 g. At atmospheric pressure the amine has b.p. 187-188°. 

The hydrochloride of the amine may be prepared precisely as that of the primary amine. For recrystallisation, boil a suspension of the powdered salt in petroleum (b.p. 60-80°), and then add acetone slowly in small drops until the boiling suspension just becomes clear allow the stirred solution to cool until crystallisation starts, and then chill in ice-water before collecting the colourless plates of the hydrochloride, which after drying in a vacuum desiccator have m.p. 132-134°. 

Of the above methods for separating the amines, number (3) is the best. 

Physical properties. Majority are liquids except p toluidine and 1- and 2-naphthylamine. All are colourless when pure, but rapidly darken on exposure to air and light. All are very sparingly soluble in water, but dissolve readily in dilute mineral acids (except the naphthyl-amines, which are only moderately soluble in adds). They form colourless crystalline salts e.g., CjHjNH2,HCl) which are soluble in water these aqueous solutions usually have an add reaction owing to hydrolysis, and give the reactions of both the amine and the acid from which they are derived. Addition of alkali to the acid solution liberates the amine. 

Give coloured oxidation products, depending on the amine and the oxidising agent used. 

A) Picrates. Attempt precipitation of picrates by (a) mixing cold ethanolic solutions of the amine and of picric acid (saturated) or... 

R NHa + C.HjNCO = RNH CO NHC,Hj Traces of water will contaminate the product with diphenylurea (p. 336) if the solution is boiled hence the need for anhydrous conditions. i-Naphthylisocyanate reacts more slowly with water, and the i-naphthyl-urea derivative can often be obtained using a cold aqueous solution of an aliphatic amine it is particularly necessary in such cases to purify the product by recrystallisation from, or extraction with, boiling petroleum, leaving behind any insoluble di i-naphthylurea. Note that the amine must also be free from alcohols (p. 335) and phenols (p. 337). 

B) Methiodi s. Members of Classes (i), (ii) and (iv) combine wdth methyl iodide (some very vigorously) to form quaternary methiodides. It is best to add the amine to an excess of methyl iodide dissolved in about twice its volume of methanol, allow any spontaneous reaction to subside, and then boil under reflux for 30 minutes (extend to 1 hour for Class (iv) except pyridine and quinoline). The methiodide may crystallise when the reaction-mixture cools if not, evaporate the latter to small bulk or to dryness, and recrystallise, (M.ps., pp. 553-554 )... 

If no solid precipitate is obtained, an oil or an oily suspension, may be produced. Allow to stand, and then, if possible, separate the oil directly in a separating Tunnel and dry with solid KOH. If the volume of the oil is too small for such separation, extract with ether and then separate the ethereal solution, dry as before, filter, and distil off the ether. Distil the amine (if considered necessary) and identify. 

The chloroplatinates prepared as above are sufficiently pure for direct analysis without recrystallisation. The chloroplatinates of the amines are usually freely soluble in hot water, but recrystallisation (when required) should not be attempted until the process has been found to be successful with a small test-portion of the chloroplatinate. The chloroplatinates of many primary and secondary amines decompose in hot water, the amine being oxidised, and the chloroplatinate reduced to the metal some amines furthermore co-ordinate readily with the metal when the chloroplatinate is boiled with water and a mixed product is obtained on cooling. 

Place about o-i g. (or 0 1 ml.) of the amine in a test-tube, add o-i ml. of glacial aatic acid to dissolve the amine and then add water until the test-tube is half-full Next place about 0 3 g. of the peroxidase preparation in a very small mortar and grind up with about 15 ml. of water. Filter through a small fluted filter-paper into a test-tube. 

With the aid of a small pipette or a fine-bore dropping-tube (Fig. 30, p. 60), add about 4 drops of the filtered enzyme solution to the amine acetate solution. Using another dropping-tube add i drop of 20 volume hydrogen peroxide solution and shake well. Note the colour change which takes place. 

By treatment of an amide with sodium hypobromite or sodium hypochlorite solution (or with the halogen and alkali), the amine of one less carbon atom is produced, the net result being the elimination of the carbonyl group. An example is ... 

The reaction is applicable to the preparation of amines from amides of aliphatic aromatic, aryl-aliphatic and heterocyclic acids. A further example is given in Section IV,170 in connexion with the preparation of anthranilic acid from phthal-imide. It may be mentioned that for aliphatic monoamides containing more than eight carbon atoms aqueous alkaline hypohalite gives poor yields of the amines. Good results are obtained by treatment of the amide (C > 8) in methanol with sodium methoxide and bromine, followed by hydrolysis of the resulting N-alkyl methyl carbamate ... 

The cft)ject of the intermediate flask is to trap any water which may distil with the amine this water is generally coloured yellow and if allowed to pass into the hydrochloric acid in the receiver will contaminate the product. 

Into a 750 ml. round-bottomed flask furnished with a reflux condenser place a solution of 34 g. (18-5 ml.) of concentrated sulphuric acid in 100 ml, of water add 33 g. of di-n-butyl cyanamide and a few fragments of porous porcelain. Reflux gently for 6 hours. Cool the resulting homogeneous solution and pour in a cold solution of 52 g. of sodium hydroxide in 95 ml. of water down the side of the flask so that most of it settles at the bottom without mixing with the solution in the flask. Connect the flask with a condenser for downward distillation and shake it to mix the two layers the free amine separates. Heat the flask when the amine with some water distils continue the distillation until no amine separates from a test portion of the distillate. Estimate the weight of water in the distillate anp add about half this amount of potassium hydroxide in the form of sticks, so that it dissolves slowly. 

Cool the solution in ice while the alkali hydroxide is dissolving some ammonia gas is evolved. When the potassium hydroxide has dissolved, separate the amine, and dry it for 24 hours over sodium hydroxide pellets. Filter into a Claisen flask and distil. Collect the di-n-butylamine at 157-160°. The yield is 31 g. 

Salts of amines are generally soluble in water. Upon treatment with 10 per cent, sodium hydroxide solution, the amine will separate if it is insoluble or sparingly soluble in water if the amine is water-soluble, it can be partially volatilised by gentle warming and its presence will be suggested by a characteristic odour. 

To 5 ml. of water add 1-2 drops of the amine if the amine does not dissolve, add a drop or two of concentrated hydrochloric acid. Add 0-5-1 ml. of this amine solution to 2-3 ml. of the reagent an almost immediate precipitate indicates the presence of a primary amine. A slight turbidity indicates the presence of a primary amine as an impurity. (Primary aromatic amines generally require 2-3 minutes for the test. Urea and other amides, as well as amino acids, do not react.)... 

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