Dimethylethanolamine
Chemical compound
Dimethylethanolamine (DMAE or DMEA) is an organic compound with the formula (CH3)2NCH2CH2OH. It is bifunctional, containing both a tertiary amine and primary alcohol functional groups. It is a colorless viscous liquid. It is used in skin care products for improving skin tone and also taken orally as a nootropic. It is prepared by the ethoxylation of dimethylamine.
01Industrial uses
Dimethylaminoethanol is used as a curing agent for polyurethanes and epoxy resins. It is a precursor to other chemicals, such as the nitrogen mustard 2-dimethylaminoethyl chloride. The acrylate ester, dimethylaminoethyl acrylate is used as a flocculating agent.
Related compounds are used in gas purification, e.g. removal of hydrogen sulfide from sour gas streams.
02Human uses
The bitartrate salt of DMAE, i.e. N,N-dimethylethanolamine bitartrate, is sold as a dietary supplement. It is a white powder providing 37% DMAE.
Animal tests show possible benefit for improving spatial memory and working memory.
Sources and credits
This article is adapted from the Wikipedia article “Dimethylethanolamine”, written by its contributors and licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Fathomly has changed the layout, removed citation markers, navigation and maintenance notices, and adjusted punctuation. This adapted version is shared under the same license. For references, see the original article.
Images, from Wikimedia Commons:
- Dimethylethanolamine 3D ball.png by Jynto (talk), CC0
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