Diisopropylamine
Diisopropylamine is a secondary amine with the chemical formula 2NH. Diisopropylamine is a colorless liquid with an ammonia-like odor. Its lithium derivative, lithium diisopropylamide, known as LDA is a widely used reagent.
Reactions and use
Diisopropylamine is a common amine nucleophile in organic synthesis. Because it is bulky, it is a more selective nucleophile than other similar amines, such as dimethylamine.It reacts with organolithium reagents to give lithium diisopropylamide. LDA is a strong, non-nucleophilic base
The main commercial applications of diisopropylamine is as a precursor to the herbicide, diallate and triallate as well as certain sulfenamides used in the vulcanization of rubber.
It is also used to prepare N,''N''-diisopropylethylamine by alkylation with diethyl sulfate.
The bromide salt of diisopropylamine, diisopropylammonium bromide, is a room-temperature organic ferroelectric material.
Preparation
Diisopropylamine, which is commercially available, may be prepared by the reductive amination of acetone with ammonia using a modified copper oxide, generally copper chromite, as a catalyst:Diisopropylamine can be dried by distillation from potassium hydroxide or drying over sodium wire.