Producing Urea
Producing urea
Urea (\((\text{NH}_{2})_{2}\text{CO}\)) is a nitrogen-containing compound that is produced on a large scale worldwide. It has the highest nitrogen content (46,4%) of all solid nitrogen-containing fertilizers that are commonly used, and is produced by the reaction of ammonia with carbon dioxide. Two reactions are involved in producing urea and ammonium carbamate (\(\text{H}_{2}\text{NCOONH}_{4}\)) is an intermediate product.
\(2\text{NH}_{3}(\text{g}) + \text{CO}_{2}(\text{g})\) \(\rightleftharpoons\) \(\text{H}_{2}\text{NCOONH}_{4}(\text{s})\)
\(\text{H}_{2}\text{NCOONH}_{4}(\text{s})\) \(\rightleftharpoons\) \((\text{NH}_{2})_{2}\text{CO}(\text{aq}) + \text{H}_{2}\text{O}(\text{l})\)
Urea presented as a) the structural formula, b) a space-filling three-dimensional model and c) solid crystals.
Fact:
In 1828, the German chemist Friedrich Wöhler obtained urea by treating silver cyanate (\(\text{AgOCN}\)) with ammonium chloride (\(\text{NH}_{4}\text{Cl}\)):
\(\text{AgOCN} + \text{NH}_{4}\text{Cl}\) \(\to\) \((\text{NH}_{2})_{2}\text{CO} + \text{AgCl}\)
This was the first time an organic compound was artificially synthesised from inorganic starting materials, without the use of living organisms.
This lesson is part of:
Chemistry and the Real World