🥼organic chemistry review

Enamines

Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated September 2025
Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated September 2025

Definition

Enamines are organic compounds formed by the reaction between a secondary amine and an aldehyde or ketone, characterized by the presence of a nitrogen atom connected to a carbon-carbon double bond. They are the result of nucleophilic addition of amines to carbonyl compounds followed by dehydration.