Hydroxylamine is an inorganic compound with the formula NH₂OH. The pure material is a white, unstable crystalline, hygroscopic compound. However, hydroxylamine is almost always provided and used as an aqueous solution. It is used to prepare oximes, an important functional group.
What is meant by hydroxylamine?
: a colorless odorless nitrogenous base NH3O that resembles ammonia in its reactions but is less basic and that is used especially as a reducing agent.
What is hydroxylamine used for?
Hydroxylamine is used as a reducing agent in photography, in synthetic and analytical chemistry, to purify aldehydes and ketones, as an antioxidant for fatty acids and soaps, and as a dehairing agent for hides. In addition, hydroxylamine is used in the production of cyclohexanone oxime or caprolactam.
