Ammonia and many amines are not only bases in the Brønsted sense, they are also nucleophiles that bond to and form products with a variety of electrophiles.
The unshared electrons on nitrogen play a key role in the reactions of amines. In fact, almost all reactions of amines at the nitrogen atom have, as a first step, the formation of a bond involving the...The unshared electrons on nitrogen play a key role in the reactions of amines. In fact, almost all reactions of amines at the nitrogen atom have, as a first step, the formation of a bond involving the unshared electron pair on nitrogen. A typical example is acylation, which is amide formation through the reaction of an acyl chloride, an anhydride, or an ester with an amine.
