 CH3NO, simplest amide |
Formamide is an amide derived from formic acid. It is a colorless liquid which is miscible with water and has an ammonia-like odor. It is chemical feedstock for the manufacture of sulfa drugs and other pharmaceuticals, herbicides and pesticides, and in the manufacture of hydrocyanic acid. It has been used as a softener for paper and fiber. It is a solvent for many ionic compounds. It has also been used as a solvent for resins and plasticizers.4 Some astrobiologists suggest that it may be an alternative to water as the main solvent in other forms of life.5
Formamides are compounds of the type RR′NCHO. One important formamide is dimethylformamide, (CH)NCHO.