n-Butylamine is an organic compound (specifically, an amine) with the formula CH3(CH2)3NH2. This colourless liquid is one of the four isomericamines of butane, the others being sec-butylamine, tert-butylamine, and isobutylamine. It is a liquid having the fishy, ammonia-like odor common to amines. The liquid acquires a yellow color upon storage in air. It is soluble in all organic solvents. Its vapours are heavier than air and it produces toxic oxides of nitrogen during combustion.[3]
Synthesis and reactions
It is produced by the reaction of ammonia and alcohols over alumina:
CH3(CH2)3OH + NH3 → CH3(CH2)3NH2 + H2O
n-Butylamine is a weak base. The pKa of [CH3(CH2)3NH3]+ is 10.78.[4]
n-Butylamine exhibits reactions typical of other simple alkyl amines, i.e., alkylation, acylation, condensation with carbonyls.
It forms complexes with metal ions, examples being cis- and trans-[PtI2(NH2Bu)2].[5]
^H. K. Hall, Jr. (1957). "Correlation of the Base Strengths of Amines". J. Am. Chem. Soc. 79 (20): 5441–5444. doi:10.1021/ja01577a030.
^Rochon, Fernande D.; Buculei, Viorel (2004). "Multinuclear NMR Study and Crystal Structures of Complexes of the Types cis- and trans-Pt(amine)2I2". Inorganica Chimica Acta. 357 (8): 2218–2230. doi:10.1016/j.ica.2003.10.039.
^Karsten Eller, Erhard Henkes, Roland Rossbacher, Hartmut Höke, "Amines, Aliphatic" Ullmann's Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry, Wiley-VCH, Weinheim, 2005.doi:10.1002/14356007.a02_001