Formamide is a chemical compound with the formula HCONH2. The spelling of the word "formamide" can be explained by using the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) phonetic transcription. The first syllable, "for," is pronounced as /fɔːr/, the second syllable, "ma," is pronounced as /mə/, and the final syllable, "ide," is pronounced as /aɪd/. The stress is on the first syllable, which is why the "o" is pronounced as /ɔː/ instead of /oʊ/. The spelling of "formamide" follows the typical rules of English phonetics.
Formamide is a chemical compound with the molecular formula HCONH2. It is classified as an organic amide due to the presence of a carbonyl group attached to a nitrogen atom. Formamide appears as a colorless, odorless liquid with a high boiling point.
As a versatile solvent, it finds applications in various fields. It is commonly used in the laboratory as a solvent in chemical reactions, particularly for organic synthesis. Due to its ability to dissolve a wide range of compounds, formamide is utilized as a reaction medium for the synthesis of pharmaceuticals, dyes, and pesticides.
Furthermore, formamide plays a crucial role in the synthesis of formamides in the chemical industry. It can be reacted with other compounds to produce various formamides, which are important building blocks for the synthesis of various organic compounds.
Beyond its role as a solvent, formamide also finds applications in the biological field. It has been used as a denaturant for nucleic acids, DNA, and RNA, aiding in the examination of their secondary structures. Additionally, it serves as a reactant in the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) process, which plays a crucial role in DNA amplification.
Due to its chemical properties and versatile applications, formamide is commercially available and widely used in numerous scientific and industrial processes.
Methanamide, prepared from ethyl formate by the action of ammonia; a colorless liquid combined with chloral to form chloralamide.
A practical medical dictionary. By Stedman, Thomas Lathrop. Published 1920.
The word "formamide" is derived from the combination of two components: "form-" and "-amide".
1. "Form-" is derived from the Latin word "forma", meaning "shape" or "form". It is commonly used as a prefix to refer to formaldehyde or formic acid derivatives in chemistry.
2. "-Amide" is a suffix in organic chemistry denoting a compound derived from ammonia (NH3) by replacing one or more hydrogen atoms with an acyl group (R-C=O), where R represents a radical or a functional group.
Combining these parts, "formamide" refers to an organic compound that is derived from formic acid (HCOOH) and ammonia (NH3) by replacing one hydrogen atom of ammonium with a carboxyl group (HCONH2).