6.2.2 (b) Amides

(b) structures of Primary and Secondary Amides

Amines and amides share more than just a similar name.

As we have seen, it's possible to make an Amide by reacting an Acyl Chloride with Ammonia.

Although Amides are important to our Biochemistry they really don't feature much in the A level specification.

But you should be able to classify an Amide as Primary or Secondary.

As with Amines, it is about how many Hydrogen atoms have been substituted on the Nitrogen atom.

A Primary Amide has substituted one H atom (compared to Ammonia), leaving RCONH₂.

A Secondary Amide has substituted two H atoms, leaving RCONHR'.

Tertiary Amides aren't on the syllabus but would have substituted all three H atoms, leaving RCONR'R''.

This is a primary amide.

It is Methylpropanamide, or 2-methylpropanamide

This is a secondary amide.

It is also a methyl propanamide except that the methyl group is on the Nitrogen atom rather than the propyl group.

So it is N-methylpropanamide