Online Encyclopedia
Make a correction
Your email address will not appear on the site. Note, comments may take some time to be approved.
Back to article:
NH2CO URETHANE
Your email:
Article name:
Article content:
URETHANE, NH2CO,C,H5, the ethyl ester of carbamic acid, is synthesized from ammonia and chlorcarbonic ester or diethyl carbonate; by prolonged boiling of urea with alcohol (A. W. Hofmann, Ber., 1871, 4, p. 268); by the action of alcoholic hydrochloric acid on cyanogen; by the action of alcohol on urea chloride (L. Gattermann, Ann., 1888, 244, p. 40); and by warming alcoholic hydrochloric acid with an alcoholic solution of potassium cyanate (0. Folin, Amer. Chem. Jour., 1897, 19, p. 341). It crystallizes in large plates, readily soluble in water and melting at 49-50° C. When heated with ammonia to ,8o° C., it gives urea. Cold alcoholic potash decomposes it into potassium cyanate and alcohol. Nitroso-urethane, NO. NH • CO2C2H6, formed by reducing ammonium nitro-urethane with zinc dust and glacial acetic acid (J. Thiele, Ann., 1895, 288, p. 304), crystallizes in needles which melt at 51–52° C. (with decomposition). It is decomposed by alkalis and by acids: