Amine oxide Amine oxide An amine oxide, also known as amine-"N"-oxide and "N"-oxide, is a chemical compound that contains the functional group RN−O, an N−O coordinate covalent bond with three additional hydrogen and/or hydrocarbon side chains attached to N. Sometimes it is written as RN→O or, wrongly, as RN=O. In the strict sense, the term "amine oxide" applies only to oxides of tertiary amines. Sometimes it is also used for the analogous derivatives of primary and secondary amines. Examples of amine oxides include pyridine-"N"-oxide, a water-soluble crystalline solid with melting point 62–67 °C, and "N"-methylmorpholine "N"-oxide, which is an oxidant. Amine oxides
Ethylene oxide oxide with compounds containing active methylene group leads to the formation of butyrolactones: Ethylene oxide enters into the Friedel–Crafts reaction with benzene to form phenethyl alcohol: Styrene can be obtained in one stage if this reaction is conducted at elevated temperatures () and pressures (), in presence of an aluminosilicate catalyst. A series of polynomial heterocyclic compounds, known as crown ethers, can be synthesized with ethylene oxide. One method is the cationic cyclopolymerization of ethylene oxide, limiting the size of the formed cycle: To suppress the formation of other linear polymers the reaction is carried out in a highly dilute