''N'',''N''′-Dimethylpropyleneurea (DMPU) is a cyclic

urea Urea, also called carbamide (because it is a diamide of carbonic acid), is an organic compound with chemical formula . This amide has two Amine, amino groups (–) joined by a carbonyl functional group (–C(=O)–). It is thus the simplest am ...

sometimes used as a polar, aprotic organic

solvent A solvent (from the Latin language, Latin ''wikt:solvo#Latin, solvō'', "loosen, untie, solve") is a substance that dissolves a solute, resulting in a Solution (chemistry), solution. A solvent is usually a liquid but can also be a solid, a gas ...

. Along with the dimethylethyleneurea, it was introduced as an analog of

tetramethylurea Tetramethylurea is the organic compound with the formula (Me2N)2CO. It is a substituted ureas, urea. This colorless liquid is used as an Protic solvent, aprotic-polar solvent, especially for aromatic compounds and is used e. g. for Grignard reag ...

. In 1985, Dieter Seebach showed that it is possible to replace the suspected carcinogen

hexamethylphosphoramide Hexamethylphosphoramide, often abbreviated HMPA, is a phosphoramide (an amide of phosphoric acid) with the formula This colorless liquid is used as a solvent in organic synthesis. Structure and reactivity HMPA is the oxide of tris(dimethyla ...

(HMPA) with DMPU.

References

Further reading