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Hexamine is an organic compound used as an antibiotic, a fuel, and a reagent in chemical reactions. It is produced by the reaction of formaldehyde and ammonia and is soluble in water and most organic substances. Hexamine is used medically to treat urinary tract infections and is the main ingredient in Esbit® fuel tablets. It is also used in the rubber and textile adhesives, photographic, explosives, and personal care industries.
Hexamine is an organic, heterocyclic chemical compound. Heterocyclic organic compounds are composed of at least one carbon atom bonded to at least one other element, such as oxygen or sulfur. The atoms are arranged in a ring structure. Hexamine goes by many other names, including methenamine, urotropin, and hexamethylenetetramine. Among other applications, hexamine is used as an antibiotic.
The reaction of formaldehyde and ammonia produces the crystalline hexamine. Its molecular formula is C6H124. Hexamine particles tend to be 80 to 800 micrometers in size; a strand of human hair is about 100 micrometers wide. It is soluble in water and most organic substances and has a cage structure.
Medical professionals use hexamine as an antibiotic to treat urinary tract infections. The specific drug used is called methenamine hippurate. It is also used for the suppression of bacteriuria in patients suffering from neurological diseases. In acidic urine, methenamine hydrolyzes into ammonia and formaldehyde, a nonspecific antibiotic. Because this reaction is triggered by acid in the urine, methenamine is often ineffective as an antibiotic in those whose urine is not acidic.
Hexamine is also the main ingredient in Esbit® fuel tablets. These fuel pellets have a very high energy density, burn smokeless, leave no ash and do not liquefy. They are traditionally used for cooking by campers and military organizations. Esbit® fuel tablets are very light and portable, but the heat they produce is difficult to control and the fumes they produce are noxious. Some people are allergic to the compound, which can be absorbed through the skin.
Organic chemists use hexamine as a reagent in several chemical reactions. It is consumed in the formation of arenes, the conversion of benzyl halides to aldehydes, and the synthesis of amines from alkyl halides. Such reactions are quite complex and are often used for educational purposes in organic chemistry courses. They are often used for chemical analysis purposes to determine the identity of an unknown solute in a solution.
With its many purposes, hexamine is a very useful compound. For medical purposes, it is typically referred to as methenamine, while those who use it commercially refer to it by its usual name. Many US and European pharmaceutical companies manufacture and sell the compound for both medical and commercial uses. In addition to its common antibiotic and heating uses, it is also used in rubber and textile adhesives, the photographic industry, the explosives industry, as a protein modifier, and in the manufacture of deodorants and hair products.
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