Chapter 17, Problem 17.47EP

Interpretation Introduction

Interpretation:

Skeletal structural formula of three isomeric disubstituted ammonium ions that have chemical formula of ${\text{C}}_{\text{4}}{\text{H}}_{\text{12}}{\text{N}}^{\text{+}}$ has to be drawn.

Concept Introduction:

Amines are a class of organic compounds.  They are derivatives of ammonia.  Similar to the nitrogen atom in ammonia, the amine nitrogen also has a lone pair of electrons on it.  This means that amines can act as proton acceptors.  When an amine is added to water a proton is transferred to the nitrogen atom.  The resulting solution is a basic solution.  This contains ammonium ions and hydroxide ions.

Substituted ammonium ion is the one in which one or more alkyl, aryl, or cycloalkyl groups are substituted instead of hydrogen atoms.  There are two important generalizations that is applied to the substituted ammonium ion and they are,

• Substituted ammonium ions are not neutral molecules.  They are charged species.
• Nitrogen atom has four bonds in ammonium ion or substituted ammonium ion.  The species is positively charged as the fourth bond formed is a coordinate covalent bond.