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Synlett 2010(7): 1138-1139  
DOI: 10.1055/s-0029-1219573
SPOTLIGHT
© Georg Thieme Verlag Stuttgart ˙ New York

N,N′-Dimethyl Urea

Subrata Das*
Dept. of Chemical Sciences, Central University, Tezpur, Napaam, 784028 Assam, India
e-Mail: subrata_das@tezu.ernet.in;
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Publication History

Publication Date:
10 March 2010 (online)

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Introduction

N,N′-Dimethyl urea (DMU) (1,3-dimethyl urea, methyl carbamide) is a colourless solid and a non-volatile, versatile and powerful reagent for the synthesis of nitrogen-containing heterocyclic compounds. It is used for the synthesis of caffeine, theophylline, pharmaceuticals, textile aids, herbicides, etc. It also finds application in metal-ion complexation, material science, etc. In 1954, Blick and Godt synthesized the important building block N,N′-di­methyl-6-amino uracil from a mixture of DMU, cyanoacetic acid, and acetic anhydride with exclusion of moisture under stirring at 60 ˚C for 3 h. [¹] It is a very important starting material for the synthesis of pyrimidine derivatives.

Scheme 1