Amidine

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A type of organic compound characterized by a functional group containing a carbon atom double-bonded to a nitrogen atom and single-bonded to another nitrogen atom with a hydrogen or alkyl group attached; commonly found as derivatives in chemical synthesis and pharmaceutical applications
2. An organic chemical entity featuring a carbon-nitrogen double bond adjacent to a nitrogen atom bearing a hydrogen or alkyl substituent, utilized in the formation of various chemical intermediates and biologically active compounds
3. A class of nitrogen-containing organic molecules defined by the presence of a C=NH group bonded to an NH2 or alkyl-substituted nitrogen, important in diverse chemical reactions and medicinal chemistry contexts

Etymology: Amidines are a family of organic compounds built around a carbon atom bonded to two nitrogen atoms, one by a double bond and one by a single bond. The name is a chemist's construction: it takes "amide," the name of a related class of nitrogen compounds, and adds the "-ine" ending that chemists use for nitrogen-containing bases, as in "amine" and "imine." The "-ine" ending signals that the compound is basic, meaning it can accept a proton. Amidines show up in a surprising range of places. Some serve as building blocks in pharmaceuticals, and some are used as strong organic bases in laboratory synthesis. The name therefore describes a structural family rather than a single substance, which is why it covers many different molecules.

Synonyms: amidino group, guanidine, imino group, amino group, imine