Methyl azide

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Methyl azide
Methyl azide.svg
Methyl-azide-from-MW-3D-bs-17.png
Methyl-azide-from-MW-3D-sf.png
Names
Preferred IUPAC name
Azidomethane
Identifiers
3D model (JSmol)
ChemSpider
PubChem CID
  • InChI=1S/CH3N3/c1-3-4-2/h1H3 Yes check.svgY
    Key: PBTHJVDBCFJQGG-UHFFFAOYSA-N Yes check.svgY
  • [N-]=[N+]=N\C
Properties
CH3N3
Molar mass 57.056 g·mol−1
Appearancewhite powder
Boiling point 20–21 °C (68–70 °F; 293–294 K)
slightly soluble
Solubility alkane, ether
Explosive data
Shock sensitivity High
Friction sensitivity High
Hazards
Occupational safety and health (OHS/OSH):
Main hazards
Highly explosive
Related compounds
Related compounds
Hydrazoic acid, Chlorine azide, Ethyl azide
Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa).
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Methyl azide is an organic compound with the formula CH3N3. It is a white solid and it is the simplest organic azide.

Contents

Preparation and properties

Methyl azide can be prepared by the methylation of sodium azide, for instance with dimethyl sulfate in alkaline solution, followed by passing through a tube of anhydrous calcium chloride or sodium hydroxide to remove contaminating hydrazoic acid. [1] The first synthesis was reported in 1905. [2]

Decomposition to a nitrene is a first-order reaction:

CH3N3 → CH3N + N2

The product, like its notional tautomer methanimine, polymerizes at room temperature. [3]

Methyl azide might be a potential precursor in the synthesis of prebiotic molecules via nonequilibrium reactions on interstellar ices initiated by energetic galactic cosmic rays (GCR) and photons. [4]

Safety precautions

Methyl azide is stable at ambient temperature but may explode when heated or disturbed. [1] Presence of mercury increases the sensitivity to shock and spark. It is incompatible with methanol and dimethyl malonate. [5] When heated to decomposition, it emits toxic fumes of NO
x
.[ citation needed ] It can be stored indefinitely in the dark at −80 °C. [1]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alkene</span> Hydrocarbon compound containing one or more C=C bonds

In organic chemistry, an alkene, or olefin, is a hydrocarbon containing a carbon–carbon double bond. The double bond may be internal or in the terminal position. Terminal alkenes are also known as α-olefins.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ether</span> Organic compounds made of alkyl/aryl groups bound to oxygen (R–O–R)

In organic chemistry, ethers are a class of compounds that contain an ether group—an oxygen atom bonded to two organyl groups. They have the general formula R−O−R′, where R and R′ represent the organyl groups. Ethers can again be classified into two varieties: if the organyl groups are the same on both sides of the oxygen atom, then it is a simple or symmetrical ether, whereas if they are different, the ethers are called mixed or unsymmetrical ethers. A typical example of the first group is the solvent and anaesthetic diethyl ether, commonly referred to simply as "ether". Ethers are common in organic chemistry and even more prevalent in biochemistry, as they are common linkages in carbohydrates and lignin.

In chemistry, azide is a linear, polyatomic anion with the formula N−3 and structure N=N+=N. It is the conjugate base of hydrazoic acid HN3. Organic azides are organic compounds with the formula RN3, containing the azide functional group. The dominant application of azides is as a propellant in air bags.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Imine</span> Organic compound or functional group containing a C=N 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nitro compound</span> Organic compound containing an −NO₂ group

In organic chemistry, nitro compounds are organic compounds that contain one or more nitro functional groups. The nitro group is one of the most common explosophores used globally. The nitro group is also strongly electron-withdrawing. Because of this property, C−H bonds alpha (adjacent) to the nitro group can be acidic. For similar reasons, the presence of nitro groups in aromatic compounds retards electrophilic aromatic substitution but facilitates nucleophilic aromatic substitution. Nitro groups are rarely found in nature. They are almost invariably produced by nitration reactions starting with nitric acid.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Terephthalic acid</span> Chemical compound

Terephthalic acid is an organic compound with formula C6H4(CO2H)2. This white solid is a commodity chemical, used principally as a precursor to the polyester PET, used to make clothing and plastic bottles. Several million tons are produced annually. The common name is derived from the turpentine-producing tree Pistacia terebinthus and phthalic acid.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chemical decomposition</span> Breakdown of a chemical species into two or more parts; reverse process of a synthesis reaction

Chemical decomposition, or chemical breakdown, is the process or effect of simplifying a single chemical entity into two or more fragments. Chemical decomposition is usually regarded and defined as the exact opposite of chemical synthesis. In short, the chemical reaction in which two or more products are formed from a single reactant is called a decomposition reaction.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thionyl chloride</span> Inorganic compound (SOCl2)

Thionyl chloride is an inorganic compound with the chemical formula SOCl2. It is a moderately volatile, colourless liquid with an unpleasant acrid odour. Thionyl chloride is primarily used as a chlorinating reagent, with approximately 45,000 tonnes per year being produced during the early 1990s, but is occasionally also used as a solvent. It is toxic, reacts with water, and is also listed under the Chemical Weapons Convention as it may be used for the production of chemical weapons.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Triphenylphosphine</span> Chemical compound

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Diethyl azodicarboxylate</span> Chemical compound

Diethyl azodicarboxylate, conventionally abbreviated as DEAD and sometimes as DEADCAT, is an organic compound with the structural formula CH3CH2−O−C(=O)−N=N−C(=O)−O−CH2CH3. Its molecular structure consists of a central azo functional group, RN=NR, flanked by two ethyl ester groups. This orange-red liquid is a valuable reagent but also quite dangerous and explodes upon heating. Therefore, commercial shipment of pure diethyl azodicarboxylate is prohibited in the United States and is carried out either in solution or on polystyrene particles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Diazonium compound</span> Group of organonitrogen compounds

Diazonium compounds or diazonium salts are a group of organic compounds sharing a common functional group [R−N+≡N]X where R can be any organic group, such as an alkyl or an aryl, and X is an inorganic or organic anion, such as a halide. The parent compound where R is hydrogen, is diazenylium.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Curtius rearrangement</span> Chemical reaction

The Curtius rearrangement, first defined by Theodor Curtius in 1885, is the thermal decomposition of an acyl azide to an isocyanate with loss of nitrogen gas. The isocyanate then undergoes attack by a variety of nucleophiles such as water, alcohols and amines, to yield a primary amine, carbamate or urea derivative respectively. Several reviews have been published.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sulfuryl chloride</span> Chemical compound

Sulfuryl chloride is an inorganic compound with the formula SO2Cl2. At room temperature, it is a colorless liquid with a pungent odor. Sulfuryl chloride is not found in nature, as can be inferred from its rapid hydrolysis.

Acetone cyanohydrin (ACH) is an organic compound used in the production of methyl methacrylate, the monomer of the transparent plastic polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), also known as acrylic. It liberates hydrogen cyanide easily, so it is used as a source of such. For this reason, this cyanohydrin is also highly toxic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sulfolene</span> Chemical compound

Sulfolene, or butadiene sulfone is a cyclic organic chemical with a sulfone functional group. It is a white, odorless, crystalline, indefinitely storable solid, which dissolves in water and many organic solvents. The compound is used as a source of butadiene.

Organobromine chemistry is the study of the synthesis and properties of organobromine compounds, also called organobromides, which are organic compounds that contain carbon bonded to bromine. The most pervasive is the naturally produced bromomethane.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bromine azide</span> Chemical compound

Bromine azide is an explosive inorganic compound with the formula BrN3. It has been described as a crystal or a red liquid at room temperature. It is highly sensitive to small variations in temperature and pressure, with explosions occurring at Δp ≥ 0.05 Torr upon crystallization, thus extreme caution must be observed when working with this chemical.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Togni reagent II</span> Chemical compound

Togni reagent II is a chemical compound used in organic synthesis for direct electrophilic trifluoromethylation.

An organic azide is an organic compound that contains an azide functional group. Because of the hazards associated with their use, few azides are used commercially although they exhibit interesting reactivity for researchers. Low molecular weight azides are considered especially hazardous and are avoided. In the research laboratory, azides are precursors to amines. They are also popular for their participation in the "click reaction" between an azide and an alkyne and in Staudinger ligation. These two reactions are generally quite reliable, lending themselves to combinatorial chemistry.

Iron(III) azide, also called ferric azide, is a chemical compound with the formula Fe(N3)3. It is an extremely explosive, impact-sensitive, hygroscopic dark brown solid. This compound is used to prepare various azidoalkanes, such as n-butyl azide, from alkenes via formation of alkylboranes and subsequent anti-Markovnikov addition of azide group.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Chae, Junghyun (2008-03-14), "Methyl Azide", in John Wiley & Sons, Ltd (ed.), Encyclopedia of Reagents for Organic Synthesis, Chichester, UK: John Wiley & Sons, Ltd, pp. rn00795, doi:10.1002/047084289x.rn00795, ISBN   978-0-471-93623-7
  2. Dimroth, O.; Wislicenus, W. (1905). "Ueber das Methylazid". Berichte der Deutschen Chemischen Gesellschaft . 38 (2): 1573–1576. doi:10.1002/cber.19050380254.
  3. O'Dell, M. S.; Darwent, B. (1970). "Thermal decomposition of methyl azide". Canadian Journal of Chemistry . 48 (7): 1140–1147. doi: 10.1139/v70-187 .
  4. Quinto-Hernandez, A.; Wodtke, A. M.; Bennett, C. J.; Kim, Y. S.; Kaiser, R. I. (2011). "On the Interaction of Methyl Azide (CH3N3) Ices with Ionizing Radiation: Formation of Methanimine (CH2NH), Hydrogen Cyanide (HCN), and Hydrogen Isocyanide (HNC)". The Journal of Physical Chemistry A. 115 (3): 250–264. doi:10.1021/jp103028v. PMID   21162584.
  5. Urben, P. G., ed. (2006). Bretherick's Handbook of Reactive Chemical Hazards (7th ed.). Elsevier. ISBN   9780123725639.