Final answer:
When an aldehyde or ketone reacts with a secondary amine, it undergoes a nucleophilic addition reaction to form an imine or a Schiff base.
Step-by-step explanation:
When an aldehyde or ketone reacts with a secondary amine, it undergoes a nucleophilic addition reaction. The amine acts as the nucleophile and attacks the electrophilic carbon of the carbonyl group. This results in the formation of an imine or a Schiff base. The reaction can be represented by the following general equation:
R-CHO or R-CO-R' + H-N-R"2 -> R-CH=N-R"2 or R-C=N-R"2 + H2O
For example, the reaction between acetone (a ketone) and dimethylamine (a secondary amine) would produce N,N-dimethylacetamide:
CH3-CO-CH3 + (CH3)2NH -> (CH3)2N-CO-CH3