Amines and other nitrogen compounds are the bases of the organic world. The amines are prepared by reacting chlorides of hydrocarbons with ammonia with a hydrocarbon group:










Amines are classified as primary, secondary or tertiary, according to the number of nonhydrogen substituents they have on the nitrogen. Tetraethylammonium ion is a quarternary ammonium ion, but there obviously can be no quarternary amine molecules. All of these amines can add a proton to form a substituted ammonium ion, and all are about as strong bases as ammonia, with 10. The secondary and tertiary amines are toxic, with a nauseating fishy smell.