Phthalimide

Phthalimide

Phthalimide

Organic Compound


Phthalimide is the organic compound with the formula C6H4(CO)2NH. It is the imide derivative of phthalic anhydride. It is a sublimable white solid that is slightly soluble in water but more so upon addition of base. It is used as a precursor to other organic compounds as a masked source of ammonia.[2]

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Preparation

Phthalimide can be prepared by heating phthalic anhydride with alcoholic ammonia giving 95–97% yield. Alternatively, it may be prepared by treating the anhydride with ammonium carbonate or urea. It can also be produced by ammoxidation of o-xylene.[2]

Uses

Phthalimide is used as a precursor to anthranilic acid, a precursor to azo dyes and saccharin.[2]

Alkyl phthalimides are useful precursors to amines in chemical synthesis, especially in peptide synthesis where they are used "to block both hydrogens and avoid racemization of the substrates".[3] Alkyl halides can be converted to the N-alkylphthalimide:

C6H4(CO)2NH + RX + NaOH → C6H4(CO)2NR + NaX + H2O

The amine is commonly liberated using hydrazine:

C6H4(CO)2NR + N2H4 → C6H4(CO)2N2H2 + RNH2

Dimethylamine can also be used.[4]

Some examples of phthalimide drugs include thalidomide, amphotalide, taltrimide, talmetoprim, and apremilast. With a trichloromethylthio substituent, a phthalimide-derived fungicide is Folpet.

Reactivity

It forms salts upon treatment with bases such as sodium hydroxide. The high acidity of the imido N-H is the result of the pair of flanking electrophilic carbonyl groups. Potassium phthalimide, made by reacting phthalimide with potassium carbonate in water at 100 °C or with potassium hydroxide in absolute ethanol,[5] is used in the Gabriel synthesis of primary amines, such as glycine.

Natural occurrence

Kladnoite is a natural mineral analog of phthalimide.[6] It is very rarely found among a few burning coal fire sites.

Safety

Phthalimide has low acute toxicity with LD50 (rat, oral) of greater than 5,000 mg/kg.[2]


References

  1. "Phthalimide". Chemicalland21. Retrieved 15 November 2011.
  2. Lorz, Peter M.; Towae, Friedrich K.; Enke, Walter; Jäckh, Rudolf; Bhargava, Naresh; Hillesheim, Wolfgang. "Phthalic Acid and Derivatives". Ullmann's Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry. Weinheim: Wiley-VCH. doi:10.1002/14356007.a20_181.pub2. ISBN 978-3527306732.
  3. "Phthalimides". Retrieved 2013-02-07.
  4. Salzberg, P. L.; Supniewski, J. V. "β-Bromoethylphthalimide". Organic Syntheses. 7: 8. doi:10.15227/orgsyn.007.0008; Collected Volumes, vol. 1, p. 119.
  5. "Kladnoite". mindat.org. Retrieved 15 November 2011.

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