Sodium amide
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| Sodium amide | |
|---|---|
|
| |
| General | |
| Other names | Sodamide |
| Molecular formula | NaNH2 |
| Molar mass | 39.01 g/mol |
| Appearance | gray powder |
| CAS number | [7782-92-5] |
| Properties | |
| Density and phase | ? g/cm3, ? |
| Solubility in water | reacts |
| Melting point | 210°C |
| Boiling point | 400°C |
| Basicity (pKb) | ≈-19 |
| Structure | |
| Coordination geometry | ? |
| Crystal structure | ? |
| Hazards | |
| MSDS | External MSDS |
| EU classification | not listed |
| NFPA 704 | |
| Flash point | Non-flammable. |
| RTECS number | ? |
| Supplementary data page | |
| Structure and properties | n, εr, etc. |
| Thermodynamic data | Phase behaviour Solid, liquid, gas |
| Spectral data | UV, IR, NMR, MS |
| Related compounds | |
| Other anions | Sodium hydroxide |
| Other cations | Potassium amide |
| Related compounds | Ammonia |
| Except where noted otherwise, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C, 100 kPa) [Chemical infoboxInfobox disclaimer and references] | |
Sodium amide, also called sodamide, is NaNH2. This solid is highly reactive, dangerously so in the presence of moisture or air. It hydrolyzes readily to ammonia. The pure solid is white, but commercial samples are often grey in colour due to the presence of small quantities of metallic iron from the manufacturing process: this does not usually affect the use of the product. Sodium amide samples which are yellow or brown in colour should be destroyed immediately (see Safety below).
Preparation
Sodium amide can be prepared by the reaction of sodium with ammonia gas,[#endnote_PrepnOS] but it is usually prepared by the reaction in liquid ammonia using iron(III) nitrate as a catalyst.[#endnote_PrepnIS]- 2Na + 2NH3 → 2NaNH2 + H2
Uses
Sodium amide is used in the industrial production of indigo, hydrazine, and sodium cyanide.[#endnote_Merck] It is the reagent of choice for the drying of ammonia (liquid or gaseous) and is also widely used as a strong base in organic chemistry, often in liquid ammonia solution. Its use has been superseded by the popularlization of related reagents such as NaH, NaN[Si(CH3)3]2, and LiN[CH(CH3)2]2.Preparation of alkynes
Sodium amide induces the loss of two molecules of hydrogen bromide from a vicinal dibromoalkane to give a carbon-carbon triple bond, as in the preparation of phenylacetylene below.[#endnote_Campbell]

Hydrogen chloride and/or ethanol can also be eliminated in this way,[#endnote_Jones][#endnote_Bou][#endnote_Magriotis][#endnote_Ashworth] as in the preparation of 1-ethoxy-1-butyne.[#endnote_Newman]

Cyclization reactions
Where there is no β-hydrogen to be eliminated, cyclic compounds may be formed, as in the preparation of methylenecyclopropane below.[#endnote_Salaun]

Cyclopropenes,[#endnote_Nakamura] aziridines[#endnote_Bottini] and cyclobutanes[#endnote_Skorcz] may be formed in a similar manner.
Deprotonation of carbon and nitrogen acids
Carbon acids which can be deprotonated by sodium amide in liquid ammonia include terminal alkynes,[#endnote_Saunders][#endnote_Peterson][#endnote_Kauer] methyl ketones,[#endnote_Coffman][#endnote_Hauser2] cyclohexanone,[#endnote_Vanderwerf] phenylacetic acid and its derivatives[#endnote_Hauser1][#endnote_Kaiser][#endnote_Wawzonek] and diphenylmethane.[#endnote_Murphy] Acetylacetone loses two protons to form a dianion.[#endnote_Hampton]

Sodium amide will also deprotonate indole[#endnote_Potts] and piperidine.[#endnote_Bunnett]
Other reactions
- Rearrangement with orthodeprotonation[#endnote_Brasen]
- Oxirane synthesis (by carbene reaction?)[#endnote_Allen1]
- Indole synthesis[#endnote_Allen2]
Safety
Sodium amide reacts violently with water to produce ammonia and sodium hydroxide: and will burn in air to give oxides of sodium and nitrogen. In the presence of limited quantities of air and moisture, such as in a poorly closed container, explosive mixtures of oxidation products can form. This is accompanied by a yellowing or browning of the solid. As such, sodium amide should always be stored in a tightly closed container, if possible under an atmosphere of nitrogen gas. Sodium amide samples which are yellow or brown in colour should be destroyed immediately: one method for destruction is the careful addition of ethanol to a suspension of sodium amide in a hydrocarbon solvent.Sodium amide may be expected to be corrosive to the skin, eyes and mucous membranes. Care should be taken to avoid dispersal of the dust.
References
- ↑ Bergstrom, F. W. (1955). "[Sodium amide]". Org. Synth. Coll. Vol. 3:778.
- ↑ Greenlee, K. W.; Henne, A. L. (1946). "Sodium Amide". Inorg. Synth. 2:128–35.
- ↑ Merck Index (12th Edn.)
- ↑ Campbell, Kenneth N.; Campbell, Barbara K. (1950). "[Phenylacetylene]". Org. Synth. 30:72; Coll. Vol. 4:763.
- ↑ Jones, E. R. H.; Eglinton, Geoffrey; Whiting, M. C.; Shaw, B. L. (1954). "[Ethoxyacetylene]". Org. Synth. 34:46; Coll. Vol. 4:404.
- ↑ Bou, Anna; Pericàs, Miquel A.; Riera, Antoni; Serratosa, Fèlix (1987). "[Dialkoxyacetylenes: di-tert-butoxyethyne, a valuable synthetic intermediate]". Org. Synth. 65:68; Coll. Vol. 8:161.
- ↑ Magriotis, Plato A.; Brown, John T. (1995). "[Phenylthioacetylene]". Org. Synth. 72:252; Coll. Vol. 9:656.
- ↑ Ashworth, P. J.; Mansfield, G. H.; Whiting, M. C. (1955). "[2-Butyn-1-ol]". Org. Synth. 35:20; Coll. Vol. 4:128.
- ↑ Newman, Melvin S.; Stalick, W. M. (1977). "[1-Ethoxy-1-butyne]". Org. Synth. 57:65; 6:564.
- ↑ Salaun, J. R.; Champion, J.; Conia, J. M. (1977). "[Cyclobutanone from methylenecyclopropane via oxaspiropentane]". Org. Synth. 57:36; Coll. Vol. 6:320.
- ↑ Nakamura, Masuharu; Wang, Xio Qun; Isaka, Masahiko; Yamago, Shigeru; Nakamura, Eiichi (2003). "[Synthesis and (3+2)-cycloaddition of a 2,2-dialkoxy-1-methylenecyclopropane: 6,6-dimethyl-1-methylene-4,8-dioxaspiro(2.5)octane and cis-5-(5,5-dimethyl-1,3-dioxan-2-ylidene)hexahydro-1(2H)-pentalen-2-one]". Org. Synth. 80:144.
- ↑ Bottini, Albert T.; Olsen, Robert E. (1964). "[N-Ethylallenimine]". Org. Synth. 44:53; Coll. Vol. 5:541.
- ↑ Skorcz, J. A.; Kaminski, F. E. (1968). "[1-Cyanobenzocyclobutene]". Org. Synth. 48:55; Coll. Vol. 5:263.
- ↑ Saunders, J. H. (1949). "[1-Ethynylcyclohexanol]". Org. Synth. 29:47; Coll. Vol. 3:416.
- ↑ Peterson, P. E.; Dunham, M. (1977). "[(Z)-4-Chloro-4-hexenyl trifluoroacetate]". Org. Synth. 57:26; Coll. Vol. 6:273.
- ↑ Kauer, J. C.; Brown, M. (1962). "[Tetrolic acid]". Org. Synth. 42:97; Coll. Vol. 5:1043.
- ↑ Coffman, Donald D. (1940). "[Dimethylethynylcarbinol]". Org. Synth. 20:40; Coll. Vol. 3:320.
- ↑ Hauser, C. R.; Adams, J. T.; Levine, R. (1948). "[Diisovalerylmethane]". Org. Synth. 28:44; Coll. Vol. 3:291.
- ↑ Vanderwerf, Calvin A.; Lemmerman, Leo V. (1948). "[2-Allylcyclohexanone]". Org. Synth. 28:8; Coll. Vol. 3:44.
- ↑ Hauser, Charles R.; Dunnavant, W. R. (1960). "[α,β-Diphenylpropionic acid]". Org. Synth. 40:38; Coll. Vol. 5:526.
- ↑ Kaiser, Edwin M.; Kenyon, William G.; Hauser, Charles R. (1967). "[Ethyl 2,4-diphenylbutanoate]". Org. Synth. 47:72; Coll. Vol. 5:559.
- ↑ Wawzonek, Stanley; Smolin, Edwin M. (1951). "[α,β-Diphenylcinnamonitrile]". Org. Synth. 31:52; Coll. Vol. 4:387.
- ↑ Murphy, William S.; Hamrick, Phillip J.; Hauser, Charles R. (1968). "[1,1-Diphenylpentane]". Org. Synth. 48:80; Coll. Vol. 5:523.
- ↑ Hampton, K. Gerald; Harris, Thomas M.; Hauser, Charles R. (1971). "[Phenylation of diphenyliodonium chloride: 1-phenyl-2,4-pentanedione]". Org. Synth. 51:128; Coll. Vol. 6:928. Hampton, K. Gerald; Harris, Thomas M.; Hauser, Charles R. (1967). "[2,4-Nonanedione]". Org. Synth. 47:92; Coll. Vol. 5:848.
- ↑ Potts, K. T.; Saxton, J. E. (1960). "[1-Methylindole]". Org. Synth. 40:68; Coll. Vol. 5:769.
- ↑ Bunnett, J. F.; Brotherton, T. K.; Williamson, S. M. (1960). "[N-β-Naphthylpiperidine]". Org. Synth. 40:74; Coll. Vol. 5:816.
- ↑ Brazen, W. R.; Hauser, C. R. (1954). "[2-Methylbenzyldimethylamine]". Org. Synth. 34:61; Coll. Vol. 4:585.
- ↑ Allen, C. F. H.; VanAllen, J. (1944). "[Phenylmethylglycidic ester]". Org. Synth. 24:82; Coll. Vol. 3:727.
- ↑ Allen, C. F. H.; VanAllen, James (1942). "[2-Methylindole]". Org. Synth. 22:94; Coll. Vol. 3:597.
External links
- [Sodium amide reactions] (from Organic Syntheses)
- For a full list of external links to MSDSs, spectroscopic data, commercial chemicals suppliers etc. for this compound, see [Chemical sources].
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