What is the Difference Between Ethanamide and Methylamine

The key difference between ethanamide and methylamine is that ethanamide is a simple amide that occurs as a colorless solid, whereas methylamine is a simple amine that occurs as a colorless and hygroscopic solid compound.

Ethanamide and methylamine are important organic compounds. Ethanamide or acetamide is an organic compound having the chemical formula CH3CONH2. Methylamine, on the other hand, is an organic compound having the chemical formula CH3NH2.

CONTENTS

1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is Ethanamide  
3. What is Methylamine
4. Ethanamide vs Methylamine in Tabular Form
5. Summary – Ethanamide vs Methylamine 

What is Ethanamide?

Ethanamide is an organic compound having the chemical formula CH3CONH2. It is the simplest amide compound, and it forms as a derivative of acetic acid. This compound exists as an intermediate compound between acetone and urea. Acetone compound contains two methyl groups attached to a C=O center, while urea contains two amide groups attached to a C=O center. Moreover, ethanamide is a naturally occurring compound, or we can produce it industrially.

This compound has a molar mass of 58 g/mol, and it occurs as a colorless, hygroscopic solid compound that has no odor when pure. It gives a mouse-like odor when it has impurities.

When considering the production methods of ethanamide, on a laboratory scale, we can prepare it by dehydration of ammonium acetate. In addition, we can use the aminolysis reaction for acetylacetone under reductive amination conditions. As an alternative method, we can prepare ethanamide from anhydrous acetic acid. On an industrial scale, we can produce ethanamide from dehydrating ammonium acetate or through the hydration of acetonitrile.

There are several uses of ethanamide, which include using it as a plasticizer and as an industrial solvent. For example, molten ethanamide is important as a good solvent in dissolving many inorganic compounds due to its high dielectric constant. Moreover, ethanamide has applications in electrochemistry and organic synthesis, pharmaceuticals, pesticides production, and antioxidant production. In addition, this compound is useful as a precursor to thioacetamide.

What is Methylamine?

Methylamine is an organic compound having the chemical formula CH3NH2. It occurs as a colorless gas that forms as a derivative of ammonia gas. Unlike in ammonia molecule, methylamine molecule has one hydrogen atom replaced with a methyl group. We can identify methylamine as the simplest amine.

We can find methylamine being sold as a solution in methanol, ethanol, tetrahydrofuran, or water. It has a fishy, ammoniacal odor. We can produce methylamine commercially by the reaction of ammonia with methanol when there is an aluminosilicate catalyst. In the laboratory, we can produce methylamine by various other methods, such as the reaction between formaldehyde with ammonium chloride.

There are several applications of methylamine: using it as a weak base amine, as a precursor to the production of pharmaceuticals such as ephedrine and theophylline.

What is the Difference Between Ethanamide and Methylamine?

Ethanamide and methylamine are important nitrogen-containing organic compounds. The key difference between ethanamide and methylamine is that ethanamide is a simple amide that occurs as a colorless solid whereas methylamine is a simple amine that occurs as a colorless and hygroscopic solid compound. Moreover, ethanamide can be prepared by the dehydration of ammonium acetate while methylamine can be prepared by various other methods such as the reaction between formaldehyde with ammonium chloride.

The following infographic presents the difference between ethanamide and methylamine in tabular form for side by side comparison.

Summary – Ethanamide vs Methylamine

Ethanamide and methylamine are important nitrogen-containing organic compounds. The key difference between ethanamide and methylamine is that ethanamide is a simple amide that occurs as a colorless solid whereas methylamine is a simple amine that occurs as a colorless and hygroscopic solid compound.

Reference:

1. “Methylamine.” National Center for Biotechnology Information. PubChem Compound Database, U.S. National Library of Medicine.

Image Courtesy:

1. “Acetamide skeletal” By Ed (Edgar181) – Own work (Public Domain) via Commons Wikimedia
2. “Methylamine” By Nothingserious – Own work (Public Domain) via Commons Wikimedia