Dimethylformamide, also known under the names N,N-dimethylformamide and DMF, is a clear, water-miscible liquid and common solvent that is often used in chemical reactions. Pure dimethylformamide is odorless while technical grade or degraded dimethylformamide often has a fishy smell due to dimethylamine. Its name is derived from the fact that it is formamide (the amide of formic acid) with two methyl group substitutions, both of them on the N (nitrogen) atom.

Dimethylformamide is a polar (hydrophilic) aprotic solvent with a high boiling point. It facilitates the S_N2 reaction mechanism. Dimethylformamide is synthesized from formic acid and dimethylamine. Dimethylformamide is not stable in the presence of strong bases like sodium hydroxide or strong acids like hydrochloric acid or sulfuric acid and is hydrolyzed back into formic acid and dimethylamine, especially at elevated temperatures.

See also

• Solvent

External links