organic chemistry Organic chemistry is a subdiscipline within chemistry involving the science, scientific study of the structure, properties, and reactions of organic compounds and organic matter, organic materials, i.e., matter in its various forms that contain ...

, alkylammonium refers to

cation An ion () is an atom or molecule with a net electrical charge. The charge of an electron is considered to be negative by convention and this charge is equal and opposite to the charge of a proton, which is considered to be positive by convent ...

s of the formula _4−nNH_nsup>+, where R =

alkyl In organic chemistry, an alkyl group is an alkane missing one hydrogen. The term ''alkyl'' is intentionally unspecific to include many possible substitutions. An acyclic alkyl has the general formula of . A cycloalkyl group is derived from a cy ...

and 1≤ n ≤ 4. The cations with ''four'' alkyl substituents, i.e., ₄Nsup>+, are further classified as

quaternary ammonium In organic chemistry, quaternary ammonium cations, also known as quats, are positively-charged polyatomic ions of the structure , where R is an alkyl group, an aryl group or organyl group. Unlike the ammonium ion () and the primary, secondary, o ...

cations and are discussed more thoroughly in the article with that title. In contrast to quaternary ammonium cations, other members of the alkylammonium cations do not exist appreciably in the presence of strong base because they undergo deprotonation, yielding the parent

amine In chemistry, amines (, ) are organic compounds that contain carbon-nitrogen bonds. Amines are formed when one or more hydrogen atoms in ammonia are replaced by alkyl or aryl groups. The nitrogen atom in an amine possesses a lone pair of elec ...

. The alkylammonium cations containing N-H centers are colorless and often hydrophilic.

Occurrence

Alkylammonium species are pervasive since virtually all alkyl amines protonate near neutral pH. Examples of technologically significant alkylammonium compounds are: * Ethylenediamine dihydroiodide is used as a source of iodide in animal feed. *

dimethylammonium Dimethylamine is an organic compound with the formula (CH3)2NH. This secondary amine is a colorless, flammable gas with an ammonia-like odor. Dimethylamine is commonly encountered commercially as a solution in water at concentrations up to around ...

and diethylammonium, which are generated in the production of

dimethyldithiocarbamate Sodium dimethyldithiocarbamate is the organosulfur compound with the formula . It is one of the simplest organic dithiocarbamates. It is a white or pale yellow, water soluble solid. The compound is a precursor to fungicides and rubber chemicals. ...

and

diethyldithiocarbamate Sodium diethyldithiocarbamate is the organosulfur compound with the formula . It is a pale yellow, water soluble salt. Preparation Sodium diethyldithiocarbamate typically crystallizes from water as the trihydrate . The anhydrous salt and the t ...

: :2{{nbspR₂NH + CS₂ → ₂NH₂⁺R₂NCS₂⁻]

References

Ammonium compounds Organonitrogen compounds