Primary (RNH2)

Definition

In organic chemistry, a primary amine is an amine where the nitrogen atom is attached to one alkyl or aryl group and two hydrogen atoms. It can be represented as RNH2, where R represents an alkyl or aryl group.

Related terms

Secondary amine: An amine where the nitrogen atom is attached to two alkyl or aryl groups and one hydrogen atom, represented as R2NH.

Tertiary amine: An amine in which the nitrogen atom is connected to three alkyl or aryl groups and no hydrogen atoms, represented as R3N.

Alkyl group:

A side chain derived from an alkane that is attached to a functional group in an organic molecule