methylamine

chemical compound

Also known as: methanamine

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Last updated

June 17, 2026

Quick Summary

Methylamine is a flammable, explosive gas with the chemical formula CH₃NH₂. It has a strong, ammoniacal odor and is primarily used in organic synthesis, particularly for creating dyes and insecticides.1

Methylamine is a type of amine, a class of organic compounds that are important in the synthesis of various products. For instance, methylamine is used in the production of the analgesic meperidine and the photographic developer Metol. Dimethylamine, a related compound, is synthesized from methanol and ammonia or methylamine and is used in creating solvents, rocket propellants, and antihistamines.23

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amine
Nomenclature of amines
…the ending -amine, as in methylamine, CH₃NH₂; N-ethyl-N-propylamine (or ethyl(propyl)amine), CH₃CH₂NHCH₂CH₂CH₃; and tributylamine, (CH₃CH₂CH₂CH₂)₃N. Two or more groups cited are in alphabetical order; to clarify which groups are attached to nitrogen rather than to each other, Ns or internal parentheses are used. A few aromatic
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…the ending -amine, as in methylamine, CH₃NH₂; N-ethyl-N-propylamine (or ethyl(propyl)amine), CH₃CH₂NHCH₂CH₂CH₃; and tributylamine, (CH₃CH₂CH₂CH₂)₃N. Two or more groups cited are in alphabetical order; to clarify which groups are attached to nitrogen rather than to each other, Ns or internal parentheses are used. A few aromatic
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