Amines are organic compounds and a type of functional group that contain nitrogen as the key atom. Structurally amines resemble ammonia, wherein one or more hydrogen atoms are replaced by organic substituents such as alkyl and aryl groups. An important exception to this rule is that compounds of the type RC(O)NR₂, where the C(O) refers to a carbonyl group, are called amides rather than amines. Amides and amines have different structures and properties, so the distinction is chemically important. Somewhat confusing is the fact that amines in which an N-H group has been replaced by an N-M group (M = metal) are also called amides. Thus (CH₃)₂NLi is lithium dimethylamide.

See the for a list of types of amine and some real examples of this class of chemical.

Hydrogen bonding significantly influences the properties of primary and secondary amines as well as the protonated derivatives of all amines. Thus the boiling point of amines is higher than those for the corresponding phosphines, but generally lower than the corresponding alcohols. Alcohols, or alkanols, resemble amines but feature an -OH group in place of NR₂. Since oxygen is more electronegative than nitrogen, RO-H is typically more acidic than the related R₂N-H compound.

Methyl-, dimethyl-, trimethyl-, and ethylamine are gases under standard conditions, while diethylamine and triethylamine are liquids. Most other common alkyl amines are liquids; high molecular weight amines are, of course, solids.

Gaseous amines possess a characteristic ammonia smell, liquid amines have a distinctive "fishy" smell.

Most aliphatic amines display some solubility in water, reflecting their ability to form hydrogen bonds. Solubility decreases with the increase in the number of carbon atoms, especially when the carbon atom number is greater than 6.

Aliphatic amines display significant solubility in organic solvents, especially polar organic solvents. Primary amines react with ketones such as acetone, and most amines are incompatible with chloroform and carbon tetrachloride.

The aromatic amines, such as aniline, have their lone pair electrons conjugated into the benzene ring, thus their tendency to engage in hydrogen bonding is diminished. Otherwise they display the following properties:

Their boiling points are usually still high due to their larger size.

Diminished solubility in water, although they retain their solubility in suitable organic solvents only.

They are toxic and are easily absorbed through the skin: thus hazardous.

The following laboratory methods exist for the preparation of amines:

via the Gabriel synthesis:

via azides by the Staudinger reduction.

Allylic amines can be prepared from imines in the Aza-Baylis-Hillman reaction.

via Hoffmann degradation of amides. This reaction is valid for preparation of primary amines only. Gives good yields of primary amines uncontaminated with other amines.

Quaternary ammonium salts upon treatment with strong base undergo the so-called Hofmann Elimination

Reduction of nitriles, amides and nitro compounds:

Nitriles are reduced to amines using hydrogen in the presence of a nickel catalyst, although acidic or alkaline conditions should be avoided to avoid hydrolysis of -CN group. LiAlH₄ is more commonly employed for the reduction of nitriles on the laboratory scale. Similarly, LiAlH₄ reduces amides to amines:

The reduction of nitro compounds to amines can be accomplished with elemental zinc, tin or iron with an acid.

Nucleophilic substitution of haloalkanes. Primary amines can also be synthesized by alkylaton of ammonia.Haloalkanes react with amines to give a corresponding alkyl-substituted amine, with the release of a halogen acid. Such reactions, which are most useful for alkyl iodides and bromides, are rarely employed because the degree of alkylation is difficult to control. If the reacting amine is tertiary, a quaternary ammonium cation results. Many quaternary ammonium salts can be prepared by this route with diverse R groups and many halide and pseudohalide anions.

via halides and hexamine in the Delepine reaction

aryl amines can be obtained from amines and aryl halides in the Buchwald-Hartwig reaction

Amines react in a variety of ways:

By nucleophilic acyl substitution. Acyl chlorides and acid anhydrides react with primary and secondary amines in cold to form amides. Tertiary amines cannot be acylated due to the absence of a replaceable hydrogen atom. With the much less active benzoyl chloride, acylation can still be performed by the use of excess aqeous alkali to facilitate the reaction.

Because amines are basic, they neutralize carboxylic acids to form the corresponding ammonium carboxylate salts. Upon heating to 200 °C, the primary and secondary amine salts dehydrate to form the corresponding amides.

By ammonium salt formation. Amines R₃N react with strong acids such as hydroiodic acid, hydrobromic acid and hydrochloric acid in neutralization reactions forming ammonium salts R₃NH⁺.

By diazonium salt formation. Nitrous acid with formula HNO₂ is unstable, therefore usually a mixture of NaNO₂ and dilute hydrochloric acid or sulfuric acid is used to produce nitrous acid indirectly. Primary aliphatic amines with nitrous acid give very unstable diazonium salts which spontaneously decompose by losing N₂ to form carbonium ion. The carbonium ion goes on to produce a mixture of alkenes, alkanols or alkyl halides, with alkanols as the major product. This reaction is of little synthetic importance because the diazonium salt formed is too unstable, even at cold conditions.

NaNO₂ + HCl → HNO₂ + NaCl

Primary aromatic amines, such as aniline (phenylamine) form more stable diazonium ions at 0–5 °C. Above 5 °C, they will decompose to give phenol and N₂. Arenediazonium salts can be isolated in the crystalline form but are usually used in solution immediately after preparation, due to rapid decomposition on standing even when cold. The solid arenediazonium salt is explosive upon shock or mild warming. Because of their greater stability, arenediazonium salts are more synthetically useful than their alliphatic counterparts. Since it is not necessary to isolate the diazonium salt, once it is formed another reagent such as cuprous cyanide can simply be added to the mixture, and with gentle heating of the solution, a replacement reaction takes place along with the evolution of nitrogen. In addition, arenediazonium ions can also undergo a coupling reaction with a highly activated aromatic compound such as a phenol to form an azo compound.

By imine formation. Primary amines react with ketones and aldehydes to form imines. In the case of formaldehyde (R' = H), these products are typically cyclic trimers.

RNH₂ + R'₂C=O → R'₂C=NR + H₂O

Secondary amines react with ketones and aldehydes to form enamines

R₂NH + R'(R"CH_{2)C=O → R"CH=C(NR2)R' + H2O}

By oxidation to nitroso compounds, for instance with peroxymonosulfuric acid.

By reduction of quaternary ammonium cations to tertiary amines in the Emde degradation.

By rearrangement of N-alkyl anilines to aryl substituted anilines in the Hofmann-Martius rearrangement.