Question

Formaldehyde reacts with ammonia to give:
A. $C{{H}_{2}}=NH$
B.
C.
D. Hexamethylenetetramine

Answer 1

Aliphatic aldehydes react with ammonia and forms aldehyde ammonias. Formaldehyde an aliphatic aldehyde reacts with ammonia in slightly alkaline or neutral medium and forms amino methanol as the initial product. Later amino methanol undergoes reaction with formaldehyde and forms a methylene derivative as the product.

Complete answer:
- In the question it is asked to find the product when formaldehyde reacts with ammonia.
- The molecular formula of formaldehyde is HCHO and the molecular formula of ammonia is $N{{H}_{3}}$ .
- The reaction of formaldehyde with ammonia is as follows.
$6HCHO+4N{{H}_{3}}\to \underset{Hexamethylenetetra\min e}{\mathop{{{(C{{H}_{2}})}_{6}}{{N}_{4}}}}\,+6{{H}_{2}}O$
- We can see that six moles of formaldehyde reacts with four moles of ammonia and forms one mole of Hexamethylenetetramine and six moles of water as the products.
- The structure of Hexamethylenetetramine is as follows.

- Therefore the product formed when formaldehyde reacts with ammonia is hexamethylenetetramine.

So, the correct option is D.

Additional information:
- Hexamethylenetetramine is a heterocyclic compound.
- Hexamethylenetetramine also called hexamine or urotropin.
- Hexamethylenetetramine is a crystalline compound and soluble in water and in several organic polar solvents like carbon tetrachloride and etc.
- Hexamethylenetetramine has a cage-like structure.
- Hexamethylenetetramine is used to treat urinary tract infections.

Note:
Reaction of formaldehyde with ammonia is an example of condensation reaction. During the reaction of formaldehyde with ammonia there is a release of water molecules as the byproducts. In condensation reaction only byproducts are going to form as the side products.