Abstract
CONSIDERABLE evidence1 has been presented for the polar structures I and II as important contributory forms of urea in aqueous solution and in the solid state. This view has been criticized by Bell, Gillespie and Taylor2 on the grounds of electrometric titration data. The observation that buffering of urea solutions can only be detected at low pH values has been interpreted by these authors to mean that urea is a weak monacid base having the uncharged structure III. This result, however, would appear to be compatible with the polar structure of the molecule.
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References
For refs. see Taylor and Baker, "Organic Chemistry of Nitrogen" 280 et seq. (Oxford, 1937).
Bell, Gillespie and Taylor, Trans. Farad. Soc., 39 137 (1943).
Bjerrum, Z, phys. Chem., 104, 147 (1923).
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HARRIS, J., ROBSON, A. Structure of Urea. Nature 161, 98 (1948). https://doi.org/10.1038/161098a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/161098a0
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