What products are formed when an imine is reacted with #HCl# and #H_2O#?

1 Answer
Ernest Z.
Mar 26, 2016

The treatment of imines with HCl and water regenerates the aldehydes and ketones from which they were formed.

Explanation:

An imine is formed by the acid-catalyzed condensation of an amine with an aldehyde or a ketone.

For example,

#underbrace(("CH"_3)_2"C=O")_color(red)("acetone") + underbrace("H"_2"NCH"_3)_color(red)("methylamine") stackrelcolor(blue)("H"^+color(white)(m))(⇌) underbrace(("CH"_3)_2"C=NCH"_3)_color(red)("an imine") + "H"_2"O"#

The reaction is an equilibrium process, so the reaction can be reversed by using an excess of water.

# underbrace(("CH"_3)_2"C=NCH"_3)_color(red)("an imine") + "H"_2"O" stackrelcolor(blue)("H"^+color(white)(m))(⇌)underbrace(("CH"_3)_2"C=O")_color(red)("acetone") + underbrace("H"_2"NCH"_3)_color(red)("methylamine") #

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