What does the "N" mean in chemical names?

[Neonate]

I've taken organic chemistry in high school and I learned all about naming chemicals (such as what the numbers mean and how to name them) and one thing that i've been wondering is that what does the "N" mean in some chemical names? Like MDMA is 3,4-methylenedioxy-n-methylamphetamine and LSD is 9,10-Didehydro-N,N-diethyl-6-methylergoline-8ß-carboxamide. So what does the "-N,N-" mean?

[gnrm23]

ummmm...
thank you michael...
i was under the impression that these were lower case letters (as in n,n-DMT = n,n-dimethyltryptamine) and actually stood for "normal" (as in the "normal" site for attaching those pesky methyl groups (yes, at the amine group, which is usually that terminal nitrogen with a couple of the attending protons, ummm hydrogen atoms, mmmkay?) --- so the methyl groups (CH3) are replacing the 2 hydrogens, (H))(or just one H, in which case our example would be n-methyltryptamine...

but the original nomenclature could have easily been in german anyways, nicht war?



but i could be wrong - it has happened occasionally, so i've been told...

[EllisDTripp]

Gnrm is right, AFAIK.

Any of the resident chemists want to confirm this?

[gnrm23]

well, doc shulgin said that the N is his nomenclature means the nitrogen in the amide side chain, but...
the 2 brain cells i have to rub together have vague memories of O-chem classes & the "normal" substituency rings a ding-y li'l bell in the empty basilica of my dome...

ymmv...
gnarly, dude...
ummm, gesundheit?

[polymer]

n is the nitrogen to which the side-chained functional groups are attached.

[BoozeJockey]

Well, it specifies how many organic groups are off of the N.

For example: N,N-Dimethyl blah blah blah....
means two organic substituents on the N, both of them methyl.

I've always found using the N,N, etc odd, but it works i guess. There are so many different ways to name chems it's crazy, as i'm sure you've found out.

[napalm_life]

If what i can rember my Chemestry teacher said, which i hope i can as my exams are soon. i means N substituted im not quite sure what thet means, but its somthing to do with Nitrogen

[polymer]

yes, this is the designation used with subst'd functional groups attached to an aromatic base structure; it doesn't necessarily apply to straight chain alkylamines/amides.

[napalm_life]

yeah what he said, now its all come flodding back to me, I hope