Question

What is carbylamine reaction?

Answer 1

The carbylamine reaction is a chemical test used to identify primary amines. In this reaction, a primary amine reacts with chloroform (CHCl₃) and alcoholic potassium hydroxide (KOH) to produce an isocyanide (also called carbylamine or isonitrile), which has a very foul, unpleasant odor.

This reaction is significant because it specifically detects primary amines; secondary and tertiary amines do not give this reaction. Thus, it serves as a qualitative test to distinguish primary amines from other amines.

\[\ce{R-NH2 + CHCl3 + 3KOH ->[Δ][]R-NC + 3KCl + 3H2O}\]