N-Methylformamide

N-Methylformamide (NMF) is a colorless, nearly odorless, organic compound with molecular formula CH3NHCHO, which is a liquid at room temperature. NMF is mainly used as a reagent in various organic syntheses with limited applications as a highly polar solvent. N-Methylformamide (NMF) is a colorless, nearly odorless, organic compound with molecular formula CH3NHCHO, which is a liquid at room temperature. NMF is mainly used as a reagent in various organic syntheses with limited applications as a highly polar solvent. NMF is closely related to other formamides, notably formamide and dimethylformamide (DMF). However, industrial use and production of NMF are far less than for either of these other formamides. DMF is favored over NMF as a solvent due to its greater stability. Annual production of NMF can be assumed to be significantly less than the production of either formamide (100,000 tons) or DMF (500,000 tons). Like DMF and formamide, each of the two rotamers of NMF are described by two principal resonance structures: This description highlights the partial double bond that exists between the carbonyl carbon and nitrogen, which gives rise to a high rotational barrier. Thus, the molecule is not able to freely rotate around its main axis and the (E)-configuration is preferred due to steric repulsion of the larger substituents. NMF is typically prepared by allowing methylamine to react with methyl formate: A less common alternative to this process is transamidation involving formamide: