The key difference between acetamide and benzamide is that acetamide contains a methyl group attached to the amide group, whereas benzamide contains a benzene ring attached to the amide group.
Acetamide and benzamide are organic compounds containing an amide functional group. The chemical formula of amide group is –C(=O)-NH2. The carbonyl carbon atom of this functional group can bind with different chemical moieties such as aliphatic groups and aromatic groups.
CONTENTS
1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is Acetamide
3. What is Benzamide
4. Side by Side Comparison – Acetamide vs Benzamide in Tabular Form
5. Summary
What is Acetamide?
Acetamide is an organic compound having the chemical formula CH3CONH2. It is also named ethanamide due to the presence of ethane group attached to the amide functional group. This is the simplest member of the amide group of compounds. It is derived from acetic acid. The molar mass of this compound is 59 g/mol. It is a colourless, hygroscopic solid which is odourless as well. However, the presence of some impurities can cause a mouse-like odour in this substance.
Figure 01: Chemical Structure of Acetamide
There are two ways of producing acetamide: laboratory method and industrial method. In the laboratory production method, we can produce this compound from ammonium acetate via dehydration reaction. It gives acetamide and water as products. In the industrial production method, we can produce this substance through dehydrating ammonium acetate or through the hydration of acetonitrile.
There are different uses of acetamide, including the use of acetamide as a plasticizer and as an industrial solvent. Furthermore, molten acetamide is important as a solvent for many applications. The dielectric constant of acetamide is greater than most other organic solvents, which makes it able to dissolve many inorganic compounds having solubility close to that of water.
What is Benzamide?
Benzamide is an organic compound having the chemical formula C6H5C(O)NH2. It is a white-coloured solid substance and is the simplest amide among aromatic amides. This compound is obtained from benzoic acid.
Figure 2: Chemical Structure of Benzamide
Benzamide is slightly water-soluble but highly soluble in many organic solvents. The molar mass of this compound is 121.1 g/mol.
Derivatives of benzamide have many applications in the pharmaceutical industry due to their pharmacological properties such as antimicrobial, analgesic, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, cardiovascular, etc. properties.
In the laboratory, we can produce benzamide by mixing benzonitrile with concentrated sulfuric acid. After mixing these two components, we can obtain a clear solution rapidly. Then we need to heat this clear solution under reflux for about 20 minutes to get benzamide.
What is the Difference Between Acetamide and Benzamide?
Acetamide and benzamide are organic compounds. Acetamide is an organic compound having the chemical formula CH3CONH2 while Benzamide is an organic compound having the chemical formula C6H5C(O)NH2. The key difference between acetamide and benzamide is that acetamide contains a methyl group attached to the amide group, whereas benzamide contains a benzene ring attached to the amide group.
Moreover, we can produce acetamide from ammonium acetate via a dehydration reaction, while benzamide can be prepared by mixing benzonitrile with sulfuric acid. Furthermore, if we look at their uses, acetamide is used as a plasticizer and as an industrial solvent while benzamide is used as an ingredient in the pharmaceutical industry.
Below is a summary of the difference between acetamide and benzamide in tabular form.
Summary – Acetamide vs Benzamide
Acetamide and benzamide are organic compounds containing an amide functional group. The key difference between acetamide and benzamide is that acetamide contains a methyl group attached to the amide group, whereas benzamide contains a benzene ring attached to the amide group.
Reference:
1. “Preparation of benzamide”. PrepChem, Available here.
Image Courtesy:
1. “Acetamide skeletal” By Ed (Edgar181) – Own work (Public Domain) via Commons Wikimedia
2. “Benzamide” By Yikrazuul – Own work (Public Domain) via Commons Wikimedia
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