Semicarbazone

Image:Semicarbazone.png

Image:Nitrofurazone.png is a semicarbazone used as an antiseptic]]

In organic chemistry, a semicarbazone is a derivative of imines formed by a condensation reaction between a ketone or aldehyde and semicarbazide. They are classified as imine derivatives because they are formed from the reaction of an aldehyde or ketone with the terminal -NH2 group of semicarbazide, which behaves very similarly to primary amines.

Formation

;For ketones

:H2NNHC(=O)NH2 + RC(=O)R → R2C=NNHC(=O)NH2

;For aldehydes

:H2NNHC(=O)NH2 + RCHO → RCH=NNHC(=O)NH2

For example, the semicarbazone of acetone would have the structure (CH3)2C=NNHC(=O)NH2.

Properties and uses

Some semicarbazones, such as nitrofurazone, and thiosemicarbazones are known to have anti-viral and anti-cancer activity, usually mediated through binding to copper or iron in cells. Many semicarbazones are crystalline solids, useful for the identification of the parent aldehydes/ketones by melting point analysis.{{cite book

| last = Williamson

| first = Kenneth L.

| title = Macroscale and Microscale Organic Experiments, 3rd ed.

| publisher = Houghton-Mifflin

| year = 1999

| location = Boston

| pages = 426–7

| isbn = 0-395-90220-7}}

A thiosemicarbazone is an analog of a semicarbazone which contains a sulfur atom in place of the oxygen atom.

See also

References

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