CAS NO. 123-39-7 Pesticide Intermediates N-Methylformamide Amide Compound

CAS NO. 123-39-7 Pesticide Intermediates With Name N-Methylformamide

N-methylformamide may be produced by mixing formic acid, which forms methylammonium formate. This intermediate is dehydrated using molybdenum trioxide in aqueous. Volatile side products are distilled away at temperatures up to 190 °C to give N-methylformamide in high purity (>99.3%) and in high yield (>92%).

N-methylformamide is not listed as a hazardous material. It is stable at room temperature. It may be slightly teratogenic and can cause liver damage if ingested or inhaled. N-Methylformamide should be stored in a tightly sealed container in a cool place. Medical studies have shown N-methylformamide to have antitumor activity. This reagent has also been shown to have severe hepatoxic effects, however, due to a causal depletion of hepatic GSH. Normal care should be taken when working with this reagent.

The antitumour activities of N-methylformamide, N-ethylformamide and formamide against a number of murine tumours in vivo (Sarcoma 180, M5076 ovarian sarcoma and TLX5 lymphoma) have been estimated. In all cases N-methyl-formamide had significant activity, formamide had marginal or no activity and N-ethylformamide had no significant activity. N-methylformamide and N-ethylformamide were equitoxic to the TLX5 lymphoma in vitro. Formamide was found as a metabolite in the plasma and urine of animals given N-methylformamide and N-ethylformamide, but excretion profiles do not support the hypothesis that formamide is an active antitumour species formed from N-alkylformamides. No appreciable metabolism of N-methylformamide occurred under a variety of conditions with liver preparations in vitro. N-methylformamide, but not N-ethylformamide or formamide, reduced liver soluble non-protein thiols by 59.8% 1 h after administration of an effective antitumour dose.

N-Methylformamide (NMF) can be synthesized by: (1) reacting, carbon monoxide, methanol and a small amount of potassium acetate at 250 atm and 160°C; (2) heating with carbon monoxide and some sodium ethoxide in ethanol at 150 atm; (3) treating methylformate with methanol; (4) reacting hexamethylenetetramine with formamide and hydrogen in the presence of Raney nickel at 130-145°C (Beilstein's Handbuch, 1977).