Diisopropylamine


Diisopropylamine is a secondary amine with the chemical formula 2HC-NH-CH2. It is best known as its lithium derivative of its conjugate base, lithium diisopropylamide, known as "LDA". LDA is a strong, non-nucleophilic base.
Diisopropylamine can be dried by distillation from potassium hydroxide or drying over sodium wire.

Reactions and uses

Diisopropylamine is primarily used as a precursor to two herbicides, diallate and triallate, as well as certain sulfenamides used in the vulcanization of rubber. It is also used to prepare N,N-Diisopropylethylamine by alkylation with diethyl sulfate.
The bromide salt of diisopropylamine, diisopropylammonium bromide, is an organic molecular solid whose crystals are ferroelectric at room temperature. This renders it a possible more biospherically inert alternative to barium titanate.

Preparation

Diisopropylamine is commercially available. It may be prepared by the reductive amination of acetone with ammonia using a modified copper oxide, generally copper chromite, as a catalyst:

Toxicity

Causes burns by all exposure routes. Inhalation of high vapor concentrations may cause symptoms like headache, dizziness, tiredness, nausea and vomiting.