Amidine

Amidines are a group of organic chemical compounds that can be described as carboxylic acid derivatives with ammonia formal. They have the general structural formula R -C (= NH) -NH2, which three hydrogen atoms are replaced by organyl radical, where R is an organic radical. The simplest stable amidine is acetamidine, which derived from the acetic acid amidine.

Amidines can be a multi-step process from the corresponding nitriles produce ( Pinner reaction).

Amidines are highly basic and form stable salts with acids. They are used, for example, as building blocks for pyrimidines. The chemistry of amidines was investigated fundamentally by Adolf Pinner ( 1842-1909 ).

Important reagents with an amidine function is the non- nucleophilic base DBU and DBN.