Ammonium formate

　　Main Uses

　　Reducing agent and intermediate in organic synthesis:

　　Reduction reaction: In the presence of catalysts such as palladium (Pd) or platinum (Pt), ammonium formate can serve as a hydrogen source to participate in reduction reactions. For example, it can reduce aldehydes and ketones to alcohols (e.g., benzaldehyde to benzyl alcohol), or reduce nitro compounds to amines (e.g., nitrobenzene to aniline). Its advantages include mild reaction conditions (no need for high-pressure hydrogen gas) and by-products that are easy to separate (carbon dioxide and ammonia).

　　Deprotection: Used to remove amino protecting groups (such as tert-butoxycarbonyl, Boc) in organic synthesis. Under acidic conditions, ammonium formate can decompose to produce formic acid and ammonia, promoting the removal of the protecting group and generating the free amine.

　　Cyclization reaction: Participates in the synthesis of certain heterocyclic compounds, such as reacting with aldehydes and amines to form heterocycles like imidazoles and pyrazoles. This is an important step in pharmaceutical synthesis.

　　Buffer and solvent in analytical chemistry:

　　Aqueous ammonium formate solution can be used as a buffer for High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC), especially suitable for analyzing polar compounds (such as amino acids and organic acids). Because it causes low background interference in Mass Spectrometry (MS) detection, it is suitable for LC-MS analysis.

　　As a solvent, it can dissolve certain polar organic substances and is used for sample extraction or as a reaction medium.

　　Other applications:

　　Agriculture: Can be used as a nitrogen fertilizer with a nitrogen content of about 22%, which is easily absorbed by plants. Additionally, the formate ion can regulate soil pH and inhibit harmful microorganisms.

　　Pharmaceuticals: Used as an intermediate in the synthesis of certain drugs, serving as a raw material or auxiliary reagent in the production of antibiotics and antifungal drugs.

　　Electroplating industry: Used as an additive in electroplating solutions to improve the uniformity and gloss of the coating.

CAS NO: 540-69-2

EC NO: 208-753-9

Molecular Formula: CH₅NO₂

Molecular Weight: 63.0559

Alias: Ammonium formate; Ammonium formate salt; Formamide;

Structure: