Liquid NH3
is an ideal solvent for reactions requiring a strong base, since the amide ion is strongly basic. As discussed in Section 9.4, the behaviour of ‘acids’ is solvent-dependent. In aqueous solution, sulfamic acid, H2NSO2OH, 9.11, behaves as a monobasic acid according to eq. 9.20, but in liquid NH3 it can function as a dibasic acid (eq. 9.21).