chemistry

Imidic acid

Imidic acid is a chemistry topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Imidic acid rather than just read about it. In short: In organic chemistry, imidic acids are organic compounds with the structure RC(−OH)=NR'. They are tautomeric to non-tertiary amides (RC(=O)−NHR') and isomeric to oximes (RR'C=N−OH).

Key takeaways

Imidic acid belongs to chemistry; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Imidic acid to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Imidic acid from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

In organic chemistry, imidic acids are organic compounds with the structure RC(−OH)=NR'. They are tautomeric to non-tertiary amides (RC(=O)−NHR') and isomeric to oximes (RR'C=N−OH). The term "imino acid" is an obsolete term for this group that should not be used in this context because it has a different molecular structure. Imidic acids can be formed by metal-catalyzed dehydrogenation of geminal amino alcohols. For example, methanolamine, the parent compound of the amino alcohols, can be dehydrogenated to methanimidic acid, the parent compound of the imidic acids.

H2NCH2OH → HNCHOH + H2 (tautomer of formamide) Geminal amino alcohols with side chains similarly form imidic acids with the same side chains:

H2NCHROH → HNCROH + H2 Another way to form imidic acids is the reaction of carboxylic acids with azanone. For example, the reaction for carbamic acid:

H2NCOOH + HNO → H2NCNHOH + O2 (tautomer of urea) And the general reaction for substituted imidic acids:

RCOOH + R'NO → RCNR'OH + O2 Another mechanism is the reaction of carboxylic acids with diazene or other azo compounds, forming azanone.

RCOOH + HNNH → RCNHOH + HNO Imidic acids tautomerize to amides by a hydrogen shift from the oxygen to the nitrogen atom. Amides are more stable in an environment with oxygen or water, whereas imidic acids dominate the equilibrium in solution with ammonia or methane.

HNCHOH ⇌ HCONH2 RNCR'OH ⇌ R'CONHR

See also Imidate Alkanolamine Hemiaminal

References

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Imidic acid

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Imidic acid claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In chemistry, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Imidic acid before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Imidic acid ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Imidic acid

In research: Imidic acid appears in chemistry research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Imidic acid in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Imidic acid is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Amides, Functional groups, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Imidic acid outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Imidic acid in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Imidic acid means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Imidic acid out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Imidic acid in simple terms?

In organic chemistry, imidic acids are organic compounds with the structure RC(−OH)=NR'. They are tautomeric to non-tertiary amides (RC(=O)−NHR') and isomeric to oximes (RR'C=N−OH).

Why does Imidic acid matter?

Because it connects several chemistry ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Imidic acid?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Imidic acid.