Question

1. N,N-dimethyl aniline
2. Triethylamine
3. N-methyl aniline
4. p-methyl aniline
How many of the given compound(s) will not give a positive carbylamine test?

Answer 1

Aliphatic and aromatic primary amines on heating with cholorform and ethanolic potassium hydroxide form foul smelling isocyanides or carbylamines.
Carbylamine reaction is given by primary aliphatic and aromatic primary amines. It is not given by secondary or tertiary amines.
The structures are given for the options below:


p-methyl aniline is the only primary amine. Therefore, (1),(2) and (3) are the correct options.