Question

Gabriel’s phthalimide synthesis can be used to prepare

• A. ethanamine
• B. N-methylmethanamine
• C. benzeneamine
• D. N,N-dimethylmethanamine
• E. p-toluidine

Answer 1

Answer: (A)

Only aliphatic primary $\left(1^{\circ }\right)$ amines (amines having the formula $R-N{H}_2$ where $R\ne C_6{H}_5$ ) are synthesised by Gabriel's phthalimide synthesis.

The structures of the given compounds are as follows.

(a) $C_2{H}_{5}N{H}_2$ ethanamine. $(1^{\circ }$ amine)

(b) $C{H}_{3}NHC{H}_{3}N$ -methylmethanamine ($2^{\circ }$amine)



Thus, only ethanamine can be obtained from Gabriel's phthalimide synthesis among the given compounds.