Chloramines refer to derivatives of

ammonia Ammonia is an inorganic compound of nitrogen and hydrogen with the formula . A stable binary hydride, and the simplest pnictogen hydride, ammonia is a colourless gas with a distinct pungent smell. Biologically, it is a common nitrogenous was ...

and organic amines wherein one or more N-H bonds have been replaced by N-Cl bonds. Two classes of compounds are considered: inorganic chloramines and organic chloramines.

Inorganic chloramines

Inorganic chloramines comprise three compounds:

monochloramine Monochloramine, often called chloramine, is the chemical compound with the formula NH2Cl. Together with dichloramine (NHCl2) and nitrogen trichloride (NCl3), it is one of the three chloramines of ammonia. It is a colorless liquid at its melting p ...

(NH₂Cl),

dichloramine Dichloramine is a reactive inorganic compound. It has the formula . The yellow gas is unstable and reacts with many materials. It is formed by a reaction between ammonia and chlorine or sodium hypochlorite. It is a byproduct formed during the synth ...

(NHCl₂), and

nitrogen trichloride Nitrogen trichloride, also known as trichloramine, is the chemical compound with the formula NCl3. This yellow, oily, pungent-smelling and explosive liquid is most commonly encountered as a byproduct of chemical reactions between ammonia-derivative ...

(NCl₃). Monochloramine is of broad significance as a disinfectant for water.

Organic chloramines

144px, ''N''-Chloropiperidine is a rare example of an organic chloramine. 144px, Chloramine-T is often referred to as a chloramine, but it is really a salt (CH₃C₆H₄SO₂NClNa) derived from a chloramine. Organic chloramines feature the NCl

functional group In organic chemistry, a functional group is a substituent or moiety in a molecule that causes the molecule's characteristic chemical reactions. The same functional group will undergo the same or similar chemical reactions regardless of the rest ...

attached to an organic substituent. Examples include ''N''-chloromorpholine (ClN(CH₂CH₂)₂O), ''N''-chloropiperidine, and ''N''-chloroquinuclidinium chloride. Chloramines are commonly produced by the action of

bleach Bleach is the generic name for any chemical product that is used industrially or domestically to remove color (whitening) from a fabric or fiber or to clean or to remove stains in a process called bleaching. It often refers specifically, to ...

on secondary amines: :R₂NH + NaOCl → R₂NCl + NaOH ''Tert''-butyl hypochlorite can be used instead of bleach: :R₂NH + t-BuOCl → R₂NCl + t-BuOH

Swimming pools

Chloramines also refers to any chloramine formed by chlorine reacting with ammonia introduced into

swimming pool A swimming pool, swimming bath, wading pool, paddling pool, or simply pool, is a structure designed to hold water to enable Human swimming, swimming or other leisure activities. Pools can be built into the ground (in-ground pools) or built ...

s by human perspiration, saliva, mucus, urine, and other biologic substances, and by insects and other pests. Chloramines are responsible for the "chlorine smell" of pools, as well as skin and eye irritation. These problems are the result of insufficient levels of free available chlorine.

References

{{Reflist, 2 Nitrogen halides Swimming pools