Ethanimine

Ethanimine is an organonitrogen compound classified as an imine. It is formed by reacting acetaldehyde and ammonia, but rapidly polymerizes to acetaldehyde ammonia trimer.

Ethanimine / ethenamine

Names
Preferred IUPAC name Ethanimine
Other names As imine: ethylimine, ethylideneimine, ethylidenimine, acetaldehyde imine, acetaldehyde-ammonia Schiff base, acetaldimine, iminoethane As amine: ethenamine, ethyleneamine, ethylideneamine, aminoethylene, vinylamine, vinyl amine
Identifiers
CAS Number	20729-41-3
3D model (JSmol)	Interactive image
ChemSpider	11539075
PubChem CID	140746
CompTox Dashboard (EPA)	DTXSID20865279
InChI InChI=1S/C2H5N/c1-2-3/h2-3H,1H3 Key: MPAYEWNVIPXRDP-UHFFFAOYSA-N InChI=1/C2H5N/c1-2-3/h2-3H,1H3 Key: MPAYEWNVIPXRDP-UHFFFAOYAR
SMILES CC=N
Properties
Chemical formula	C2H5N
Molar mass	43.069 g·mol−1
Related compounds
Related compounds	N-Methylmethanimine Methanimine
Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa). Infobox references

It has two tautomers: ethanimine, an imine, and ethenamine or aminoethylene, an amine. Ethanimine has two hydrogens on the carbon, while ethenamine has two on the nitrogen atom.

Occurrence

It is not well known terrestrially, but has been detected in abundance toward Sagittarius B2 (Sgr B2), a dense interstellar cloud between stars toward the Galactic Center of the Milky Way. The distance between the Sgr B2 cloud and center of galaxy is 100 pc (1 pc = 3.26 ly). Ethanimine is mainly found in hot cores of ISM clouds; in case of Sgr B2, the region would be the Sgr B2 N and Sgr B2 M.^[1] Radio telescopes such as the Green Bank Observatory's Green Bank Telescope and those operated by the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (measuring radio frequency light lambda ranging from 1–300 GHz) are able to detect organic molecules such as ethanimines because its internal energy transition, more specifically the rotational transition is within the radio frequency of 14085 MHz = 140.8 GHz.^[2]

References

1. Miao, Yanti; Mehringer, David M.; Kuan, Yi-Jheng; Snyder, Lewis E. (1995). "Complex molecules in Sagittarius B2(N): The importance of grain chemistry". The Astrophysical Journal. 445: L59. Bibcode:1995ApJ...445L..59M. doi:10.1086/187889.
2. Danger, G.; Bossa, J.-B.; De Marcellus, P.; Borget, F.; Duvernay, F.; Theulé, P.; Chiavassa, T.; d'Hendecourt, L. (2011). "Experimental investigation of nitrile formation from VUV photochemistry of interstellar ices analogs: Acetonitrile and amino acetonitrile". Astronomy & Astrophysics. 525: A30. Bibcode:2011A&A...525A..30D. doi:10.1051/0004-6361/201015736.