In chemistry, hydrochlorides are salts resulting, or regarded as resulting, from the reaction of hydrochloric acid with an organic base (mostly amines). This is also known as muriate, derived from hydrochloric acid's other name: muriatic acid. This article is about the term salt as referred to in chemistry. ... Hydrochloric acid is the aqueous solution of hydrogen chloride gas (HCl). ... Acids and bases: Acid-base extraction Acid-base reaction Acid dissociation constant Acidity function Buffer solutions pH Proton affinity Self-ionization of water Acids: Lewis acids Mineral acids Organic acids Strong acids Superacids Weak acids Bases: Lewis bases Organic bases Strong bases Superbases Non-nucleophilic bases Weak bases edit In... The general structure of an amine Amines are organic compounds and a type of functional group that contain nitrogen as the key atom. ...

For example, reaction of pyridine (C₅H₅N) with hydrochloric acid (HCl) yields pyridine hydrochloride (C₅H₅N·HCl). Even though this style of formulas is often used for denoting the hydrochlorides, the dot incorrectly implies that the two molecules are weakly bonded together. It is the salt C₅H₅NH⁺ Cl^- with correct chemical name pyridinium chloride. Pyridine is a chemical compound with the formula C5H5N. It is a liquid with a distinctively putrid odour. ...

Uses

Converting insoluble amines into hydrochlorides is a common way to make them water- and acid-soluble. This is particularly desirable for substances used in medications. Many pharmaceutical substances are prepared as hydrochlorides so that they may be quickly absorbed in the gastrointestinal tract; the body usually absorbs a hydrochloride within 15 - 30 minutes. Solubility is a chemical property referring to the ability for a given substance, the solute, to dissolve in a solvent. ... Pharmacology (in Greek: pharmacon is drug, and logos is science) is the study of how chemical substances interfere with living systems. ...

Examples of hydrochlorides in medical uses are many, ranging from over-the-counter sinus relief to antidepressants. Over-the-counter (OTC) drugs are medicines that may be sold without a prescription, in contrast to prescription drugs. ... An antidepressant is a medication used primarily in the treatment of clinical depression. ...

Preparation

Hydrochlorides can be prepared in the laboratory by the addition of hydrochloric acid, or by bubbling gaseous HCl through an organic solution containing the amine to avoid the introduction of water.

See also

• Freebase (chemistry)
• Quaternary ammonium cation