tetramethylurea
Sign in to saveAlso known as N,N,N',N'-tetramethyl-urea
Tetramethylurea (TMU) is the organic compound with the formula (Me2N)2CO. It is a substituted urea. This colorless liquid is used as an aprotic-polar solvent, especially for aromatic compounds and is used e. g. for Grignard reagents. Tetramethylurea is a colorless liquid with mild aromatic odor. Unusual for an urea is the liquid state of tetramethylurea in a range of > 170 °C.
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Tetramethylurea (TMU) is the organic compound with the formula (Me2N)2CO. It is a substituted urea. This colorless liquid is used as an aprotic-polar solvent, especially for aromatic compounds and is used e. g. for Grignard reagents. Tetramethylurea is a colorless liquid with mild aromatic odor. Unusual for an urea is the liquid state of tetramethylurea in a range of > 170 °C.
==Production== It is obtained by the reaction of dimethylamine with phosgene in aqueous sodium hydroxide in a 2:1 ratio. A closely related method combines dimethylcarbamoyl chloride with excess dimethylamine. This reactions is highly exothermic. The removal of the resulting dimethylamine hydrochloride requires some effort.
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