Both primary amides and primary amines contain an group. Why are primary amides (like acetamide) obs — Amines Chemistry Question
Question
Both primary amides and primary amines contain an $-NH_2$ group. Why are primary amides (like acetamide) observed to be drastically weaker thermodynamic bases than their primary aliphatic amine counterparts (like ethanamine)?
💡 Solution & Explanation
In a primary amide, the unshared lone pair on the nitrogen atom is intensely involved in extended $\pi$ -resonance exclusively with the adjacent highly electronegative carbonyl group ($-C=O$). This massive electron withdrawal physically pulls the density entirely away from the nitrogen, rendering the lone pair completely unavailable for standard protonation, crippling its basicity.