Methylene diurea (MDU) is the organic compound with the formula CH2(NHC(O)NH2)2. It is a white water-soluble solid. The compound is formed by the condensation of formaldehyde with urea. Methylene diurea is the substrate for the enzyme methylenediurea deaminase.

Methylene diurea
Names
Preferred IUPAC name
N,N′′-Methylenediurea
Other names
methylenebis(urea), (carbamoylamino)methylurea
Identifiers
3D model (JSmol)
1812254
ChEBI
ChemSpider
ECHA InfoCard 100.033.547 Edit this at Wikidata
EC Number
  • 236-918-5
694187
KEGG
UNII
  • InChI=1S/C3H8N4O2/c4-2(8)6-1-7-3(5)9/h1H2,(H3,4,6,8)(H3,5,7,9)
    Key: KQVLODRFGIKJHZ-UHFFFAOYSA-N
  • C(NC(=O)N)NC(=O)N
Properties
C3H8N4O2
Molar mass 132.123 g·mol−1
Appearance white solid
Melting point 203 °C (397 °F; 476 K)
Hazards
GHS labelling:
GHS07: Exclamation mark
Warning
H315, H319, H335
P261, P264, P271, P280, P302+P352, P304+P340, P305+P351+P338, P312, P321, P332+P313, P337+P313, P362, P403+P233, P405, P501
Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa).

Applications

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MDU is an intermediate in the production of urea-formaldehyde resins.[1]

Together with dimethylene triurea, MDU is a component of some controlled-release fertilizers.[2]

References

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  1. ^ Steinhof, Oliver; Kibrik, Éléonore J.; Scherr, Günter; Hasse, Hans (2014). "Quantitative and qualitative1H, 13C, and15N NMR spectroscopic investigation of the urea-formaldehyde resin synthesis". Magnetic Resonance in Chemistry. 52 (4): 138–162. doi:10.1002/mrc.4044. PMID 24496721. S2CID 1457586.
  2. ^ Dittmar, Heinrich; Drach, Manfred; Vosskamp, Ralf; Trenkel, Martin E.; Gutser, Reinhold; Steffens, Günter (2009). "Fertilizers, 2. Types". Ullmann's Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry. Weinheim: Wiley-VCH. doi:10.1002/14356007.n10_n01. ISBN 978-3527306732.