Why are acid amides insoluble in water?

1 Answer
anor277
Jul 8, 2017

Are you sure amides (i.e. carboxylic acid derivatives) are so insoluble.......?

Explanation:

#"Acetamide"#, #H_2N(O=)C-CH_3# has an aqueous solubility of #2000*g*L^-1#....Because it is a primary amide, with a very short hydrocarbyl tail, this solubility may be rationalized. As the hydrocarbyl tale gets longer we would expect a decrease in solubility. However, the case in point is very water-soluble, inasmuch as it can engage in hydrogen-bonding with the water solvent.

Related questions
See all questions in Factors Affecting Solubility
Impact of this question
2812 views around the world
You can reuse this answer
Creative Commons License