Sur quelques réactions acide–base dans les solvants fortement basiques anhydres. III. n-Butylamine
Cesium is the only alkali metal to react with n-butylamine, even at higher temperature. The n-butylamides of Na and K were prepared by heating the amine with the respective alkali hydrides. The amides were obtained as crystalline greyish white powders, which are stable when kept under pure nitrogen. The neutralization of a series of monobasic acids of various strength in n-butylamine by these amides was studied potentiometrically using a platinum indicating electrode. Potential jumps ranging from 1550 mV for hydrochloric acid to about 110 mV for diphenylmethane were obtained. The latter compound was the least acidic [Formula: see text] to react with the bases, while toluene [Formula: see text] did not react. The [Formula: see text] value of n-butylamine should therefore be about 37 to 38. Several dibasic acids and mixtures of two acids were also neutralized. The power of differentiation of the n-butylamine/butylamide system is quite pronounced, but in many cases potentiometric measurements were difficult due to precipitation of the salts formed. The neutralization of triphenylmethane produces an intense reddish orange color, which could be used as an indicator in visual titrations of weak acids with the n-butylamides.