Glossary

24.9 Heterocyclic Amines

2 min read•may 7, 2024

and are key players in heterocyclic chemistry. These aromatic compounds, with their nitrogen-containing rings, showcase unique properties that set them apart from other amines and aromatic systems.

Their structures, , and reactivity patterns are crucial to understanding their behavior. From pyrrole's electron-rich nature to pyridine's basic character, these compounds illustrate how slight structural changes can lead to significant differences in chemical properties.

Pyrrole and Pyridine

Structure and aromaticity of pyrrole

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  • Pyrrole is a five-membered heterocyclic compound contains one nitrogen atom and four carbon atoms (\ceC4H4NH\ce{C4H4NH})
  • Nitrogen atom contributes its lone pair to the aromatic π\pi system making pyrrole aromatic
  • Follows with 6 π\pi electrons: 4 from double bonds and 2 from nitrogen's lone pair (n=1n = 1 in 4n+24n+2)
  • Less basic than typical amines because protonation would disrupt the aromatic system
  • Undergoes reactions () more readily than benzene due to electron-donating effect of nitrogen
  • Does not undergo typical diene reactions () as it would disrupt aromaticity
  • Exhibits stabilization, contributing to its aromatic character

Basicity and reactivity of pyridine

  • Pyridine is a six-membered heterocyclic compound with one nitrogen atom and five carbon atoms (\ceC5H5N\ce{C5H5N})
  • Nitrogen atom has a lone pair not part of the aromatic π\pi system making pyridine aromatic with 6 π\pi electrons from its three double bonds
  • Less basic than alkylamines (triethylamine) due to electron-withdrawing effect of aromatic ring making lone pair less available for protonation
  • More basic than pyrrole as its lone pair is not part of the aromatic system
  • Undergoes reactions but is less reactive than benzene due to electron-withdrawing effect of nitrogen deactivating the ring
  • Can act as a and base like alkylamines due to its available lone pair
  • Exhibits sp2 for all atoms in the ring

Heterocyclic amines vs other compounds

    1. Five-membered heterocycle with two nitrogen atoms (\ceC3H4N2\ce{C3H4N2})
    2. Aromatic with 6 π\pi electrons: 2 from double bond, 2 from each nitrogen's lone pair
    3. One nitrogen is pyrrole-like contributing to aromaticity, other is pyridine-like and basic/nucleophilic
    4. Displays between its two forms
    1. Five-membered heterocycle with one nitrogen and one sulfur atom (\ceC3H3NS\ce{C3H3NS})
    2. Aromatic with 6 π\pi electrons: 4 from double bonds, 2 from nitrogen's lone pair
    3. Less basic than imidazole due to presence of sulfur atom
    1. Six-membered heterocycle with two nitrogen atoms (\ceC4H4N2\ce{C4H4N2})
    2. Aromatic with 6 π\pi electrons from its three double bonds
    3. Less basic than pyridine due to presence of additional electron-withdrawing nitrogen atom
    4. Undergoes electrophilic aromatic substitution reactions but is less reactive than pyridine

Electronic effects in heterocyclic amines

  • decrease electron density in the ring, affecting reactivity and
  • increase electron density, influencing substitution patterns
  • in these systems contributes to their stability and unique properties

Key Terms to Review (23)

Aromaticity: Aromaticity is a fundamental concept in organic chemistry that describes the unique stability and reactivity of certain cyclic compounds with delocalized pi electron systems. This term is central to understanding the structure, stability, and reactivity of a wide range of organic compounds, including benzene and other aromatic heterocycles.
Basicity: Basicity is a measure of the strength or ability of a chemical species to accept a proton (H+) and form a conjugate acid. It is a fundamental concept in organic chemistry that plays a crucial role in understanding the reactivity and properties of various organic compounds, including those involved in SN2 reactions, aromatic heterocycles, amines, and their reactions.
Basicity constant, Kb: The basicity constant, \(K_b\), measures the strength of a base in solution, specifically how well an amine can attract and hold a proton (H+). It quantitatively expresses the equilibrium between the amine in its basic form and its corresponding protonated form in solution.
Conjugation: Conjugation refers to the overlap or sharing of atomic orbitals, resulting in the delocalization of electrons across a system of connected atoms. This concept is central to understanding resonance, the stability of certain molecules and ions, and the interpretation of various spectroscopic techniques in organic chemistry.
Diels-Alder: The Diels-Alder reaction is a type of cycloaddition reaction in organic chemistry that involves the combination of a conjugated diene and a dienophile to form a cyclic product. It is a powerful tool for the synthesis of complex cyclic compounds and is widely used in the field of organic synthesis.
Electron-Donating Groups: Electron-donating groups are functional groups or substituents that have the ability to donate or contribute electrons to a molecule, typically a benzene ring or other aromatic system. These groups can have a significant impact on the reactivity, stability, and properties of the molecule.
Electron-Withdrawing Groups: Electron-withdrawing groups are functional groups or substituents in a molecule that have a strong affinity for electrons, making them attractive to electrons. This property can significantly influence the reactivity, stability, and spectroscopic properties of the molecule.
Electrophilic aromatic substitution: Electrophilic aromatic substitution is a chemical reaction in which an atom, typically hydrogen, attached to an aromatic system, such as benzene, is replaced by an electrophile. This process preserves the aromaticity of the compound while introducing a functional group.
Electrophilic Aromatic Substitution: Electrophilic aromatic substitution is a fundamental organic reaction in which an electrophile (a species that is attracted to electrons) replaces a hydrogen atom on an aromatic ring, resulting in the formation of a new carbon-electrophile bond. This reaction is crucial in understanding the behavior and reactivity of aromatic compounds, which are prevalent in many organic molecules and have widespread applications.
Friedel-Crafts Alkylation: Friedel-Crafts alkylation is an electrophilic aromatic substitution reaction that allows for the alkylation of aromatic rings. It involves the use of a Lewis acid catalyst, typically aluminum chloride (AlCl3), to facilitate the addition of an alkyl group to the aromatic ring, resulting in the formation of a new carbon-carbon bond.
Heterocyclic amines: Heterocyclic amines are compounds where one or more nitrogen atoms are part of a ring structure that also contains carbon atoms. These structures can vary in size and the arrangement of atoms, playing crucial roles in organic chemistry and biology.
Heterocyclic Amines: Heterocyclic amines are a class of organic compounds that contain a heterocyclic ring structure with at least one nitrogen atom within the ring. These compounds are particularly relevant in the context of understanding the basicity of amines and their role as important chemical species in various biological and environmental processes.
Hückel's Rule: Hückel's rule is a fundamental principle in organic chemistry that determines the stability and aromaticity of cyclic conjugated systems. It provides a set of criteria for identifying aromatic compounds and understanding their electronic structure and reactivity.
Hybridization: Hybridization is a fundamental concept in chemistry that describes the process of mixing atomic orbitals to form new hybrid orbitals, which are used to explain the geometry and bonding patterns of molecules. This term is closely related to the development of chemical bonding theory, valence bond theory, and molecular orbital theory, as well as the structure and properties of various organic compounds.
Imidazole: Imidazole is a five-membered aromatic heterocyclic organic compound containing two nitrogen atoms. It is an important structural motif found in various biomolecules and is closely related to the topics of organic acids and bases, aromatic heterocycles, polycyclic aromatic compounds, protection of alcohols, basicity of amines, and heterocyclic amines.
Keto–enol tautomerism: Keto–enol tautomerism is a chemical equilibrium between a keto form (containing a carbonyl group -C=O) and an enol form (containing a hydroxyl group -OH attached to a carbon-carbon double bond) of a compound. This process involves the movement of an alpha hydrogen and the reorganization of bonding electrons, which allows the interconversion between the two forms.
Nucleophile: A nucleophile is a species that donates a pair of electrons to form a covalent bond with another atom or molecule. Nucleophiles are central to understanding many organic reactions, including polar reactions, electrophilic addition reactions, and nucleophilic substitution reactions.
Pyridine: Pyridine is a heterocyclic aromatic organic compound with the chemical formula C₅H₅N. It is a colorless, volatile liquid with a distinctive unpleasant odor, and it is widely used in the production of various chemicals and pharmaceuticals.
Pyrimidine: Pyrimidine is a heterocyclic aromatic organic compound containing two nitrogen atoms in the six-membered ring structure. It is a fundamental component of important biomolecules such as nucleic acids and certain vitamins, and is also found in various heterocyclic compounds.
Pyrrole: Pyrrole is a heterocyclic aromatic organic compound consisting of a five-membered ring with four carbon atoms and one nitrogen atom. It is an important structural unit in many natural and synthetic compounds, including key biological molecules and pharmaceuticals.
Resonance: Resonance is a fundamental concept in organic chemistry that describes the ability of certain molecules to exist in multiple equivalent structures or resonance forms. This phenomenon arises from the delocalization of electrons within the molecule, leading to the stabilization of the overall structure and the distribution of electron density across multiple atoms.
Tautomerism: Tautomerism is a type of isomerism where a molecule can exist in two or more different structural forms that are in equilibrium with each other. These interconvertible structural forms are called tautomers, and the process of interconversion is known as tautomerization.
Thiazole: Thiazole is a heterocyclic aromatic compound composed of a five-membered ring containing a sulfur atom and a nitrogen atom. It is an important structural motif found in various natural and synthetic compounds, particularly in the context of heterocyclic amines.
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