Methylamine
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Methylamine | ||
|---|---|---|
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| General | ||
| Systematic name | methanamine | |
| Other names | monomethylamine aminomethane |
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| Molecular formula | CH3NH2 | |
| SMILES | CN | |
| Molar mass | 31.1 g/mol | |
| Appearance | Colorless Gas | |
| CAS number | [74-89-5] | |
| Properties | ||
| Density and phase | 0.902 g/cm3, 40w/w% in water | |
| Solubility in water | 108 g/100 ml (20°C) | |
| Melting point | -94°C (179.15K) | |
| Boiling point | -6°C (267.2 K) | |
| Acidity (pKa) | 40 | |
| Basicity (pKb) | 3.36 | |
| Viscosity | 0.23 cP at 0 °C | |
| Structure | ||
| Molecular shape | tetrahedral | |
| Coordination geometry |
? | |
| Crystal structure | ? | |
| Dipole moment | 1.31 D (gas) | |
| Hazards | ||
| MSDS | From EMD Chemicals [1] | |
| Main hazards | Corrosive liquid and gas, inhalation hazard, flammable. |
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| NFPA 704 |
4
3
0
|
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| Flash point | 8 °C | |
| R/S statement | R: ? S: ? |
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| RTECS number | PF6300000 | |
| Supplementary data page | ||
| Structure and properties |
n, εr, etc. | |
| Thermodynamic data |
Phase behaviour Solid, liquid, gas |
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| Spectral data | UV, IR, NMR, MS | |
| Related compounds | ||
| Other anions | ? | |
| Other cations | ? | |
| Related ? | ? | |
| Related compounds | ? | |
| Except where noted otherwise, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C, 100 kPa) Infobox disclaimer and references |
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Methylamine is a simple primary amine with a formula of CH3NH2. Commercially, it is usually sold as a hydrochloride salt (powder), in solutions of methanol (2M), ethanol (8M), THF (2M), or water (40%), or as a pure anhydrous gas in pressurized metal containers. In its freebase (non-salt) form it has a very strong smell similar to rotten fish. It is used both as a solvent, and also for the creation of other organic compounds.
The fact that it is not sterically hindered due to its small size, and the relatively low electrophilicity compared to oxygen and fluorine make it particularly useful in electrophilic substitution.
Methylamine is prepared commercially by the reaction of ammonia with chloromethane. It can also be readily prepared by the reaction of hydrochloric acid with hexamine or by reacting formaldehyde with ammonium chloride. It is on the DEA watchlist for chemical precursors.
Methylamine also acts as a buffering agent in the lumen of the chloroplast in plants, effectively siphoning off protons that are heading for ATP synthase.
