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Imine formation template
Premium template. Preview and edit it free in MolDraw; downloading and exporting it is part of MolDraw Pro.
Methylamine adds to acetaldehyde; the carbinolamine is protonated and loses water to give the iminium ion.
Mechanism step by step
Amine addition to C=O, protonation of OH and loss of water
- Addition – Nitrogen attacks C=O
- Protonation – OH becomes a leaving group
- Loss of water – The N lone pair pushes out water
Key points
- Fastest near pH 5: enough acid to protonate OH, but the amine stays free.
- A proton transfer turns the zwitterion into the carbinolamine (not shown).
- Loss of H⁺ from the iminium gives the neutral imine.
- Secondary amines stop at the iminium/enamine.
Drawn with 43 atoms, 10 arrows, 9 shapes – every one editable in MolDraw.
Sources
How to use this template
- Press Edit in MolDraw. The template opens on the canvas of the free MolDraw editor.
- Change anything: move structures, edit atoms and labels, recolour highlights or delete what you do not need.
- Add your own structures, arrows and text next to it, or combine several templates on one page.
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Frequently asked questions
Is the Imine formation template free?
You can preview the Imine formation template here and open and edit it in MolDraw for free. Downloading or exporting it is part of MolDraw Pro, together with the other premium templates.
Can I edit the Imine formation template?
Yes. It opens as an ordinary MolDraw drawing, so every structure, arrow, label and colour can be changed, and you can add your own content around it.
Is the chemistry checked?
Every structure is checked with RDKit and every curly arrow passes MolDraw’s electron-flow audit. The sources used are listed on this page.
What is a curly-arrow mechanism template?
A ready-made drawing of a reaction mechanism in which curved arrows show where electron pairs move in each step. You can open it in MolDraw, change the substrate and reuse it.