What alkyl bromide would you use in a Gabriel synthesis to prepare each of the following amines?
c. benzylamine
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1
Identify the structure of benzylamine, which is C6H5CH2NH2.
Understand that in Gabriel synthesis, the phthalimide ion acts as a nucleophile to substitute the halide in an alkyl halide.
Recognize that the alkyl bromide needed should have the structure C6H5CH2Br, which is benzyl bromide.
Consider the mechanism: the phthalimide ion will attack the carbon attached to the bromine in benzyl bromide, displacing the bromide ion.
After the substitution, hydrolysis or hydrazinolysis will release the primary amine, benzylamine, from the phthalimide derivative.
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Key Concepts
Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.
Gabriel Synthesis
Gabriel synthesis is a method for preparing primary amines from alkyl halides using phthalimide as a nucleophile. The reaction involves the nucleophilic substitution of the alkyl halide with the phthalimide, followed by hydrolysis to yield the amine. This method is particularly useful because it avoids the formation of secondary or tertiary amines, allowing for the selective synthesis of primary amines.
Alkyl bromides are organic compounds containing a bromine atom attached to an alkyl group. They are commonly used as electrophiles in nucleophilic substitution reactions, such as those in Gabriel synthesis. The choice of alkyl bromide is crucial, as it determines the structure of the resulting amine; for benzylamine, a suitable alkyl bromide would be benzyl bromide, which has a phenyl group attached to the carbon bearing the bromine.
Peptide Sequencing: Partial Hydrolysis with Cyanogen Bromide Concept 1
Benzylamine Structure
Benzylamine is an aromatic amine with the structure C6H5CH2NH2, consisting of a benzene ring attached to a -CH2- group, which is further connected to an amino group (-NH2). Understanding its structure is essential for determining the appropriate alkyl bromide for its synthesis. In the context of Gabriel synthesis, the alkyl bromide must provide the benzyl group, making benzyl bromide the ideal choice for producing benzylamine.