Hinsberg's method to separate amines is based on the use of:
(a)
Amines serve as nucleophiles in attacking the sulfonyl chloride electrophile, displacing chloride. The sulfonamides resulting from primary and secondary amines are poorly soluble and precipitate as solids from solution:
- PhSO2Cl + 2 RR'NH → PhSO2NRR' + [RR'NH2+]Cl−
For primary amines (R' = H), the initially formed sulfonamide is deprotonated by base to give water-soluble sulfonamide salt (Na[PhSO2NR]):
- PhSO2N(H)R + NaOH → Na+[PhSO2NR−] + H2O
Tertiary amines promote hydrolysis of the sulfonyl chloride functional group, which affords water-soluble sulfonate salts.
- PhSO2Cl + R3N + H2O → R3NH+[PhSO3−