Trimethylamine N-oxide Trimethylamine N-oxide Trimethylamine "N"-oxide (TMAO) is an organic compound with the formula (CH)NO. It is in the class of amine oxides. Although the anhydrous compound is known, trimethylamine "N"-oxide is usually encountered as the dihydrate. It is a product of the oxidation of trimethylamine, a common metabolite in animals. Both the anhydrous and hydrated materials are white, water-soluble solids. Trimethylamine "N"-oxide is an osmolyte found in saltwater fishes, sharks, rays, molluscs, and crustaceans. It is considered as a protein stabilizer that may serve to counteract urea, the major osmolyte of sharks, skates and rays. It is also higher in deep-sea
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