Hydrolysis In the presence of strong acids or bases amides hydrolyze to carboxylic acids or their salts respectively.

For example :

(reaction of how the body breaks down proteins)

The bond between the carbonyl carbon and the nitrogen in the amide is called the amide bond and is a major site of reactivity.

Solubility
Amides contain carbonyl (C=O) and ether (N-C) dipoles arising from covalent bonding between electronegative oxygen and nitrogen atoms and electro-neutral carbon atoms. Primary and secondary amides also contain two- and one N-H dipoles, respectively. Because of the pibonding arrangement of the carbonyl and the greater electronegativity of oxygen, the carbonyl (C=O) is a stronger dipole than the N-C dipole. The presence of a C=O dipole and, to a lesser extent a N-C dipole, allows amides to act as H-bond acceptors. In primary and secondary amides, the presence of N-H dipoles allows amides to function as H-bond donors as well. Thus amides can participate in hydrogen bonding with water and other protic solvents; the oxygen and nitrogen atoms can accept hydrogen bonds from water and the N-H hydrogen atoms can donate H-bonds. As a result of interactions such as these, the water solubility of amides is greater than that of corresponding hydrocarbons While hydrogen bonding may enhance the water solubility of amides relative to hydrocarbons (alkanes, alkenes, alkynes and aromatic compounds), amides typically are regarded as compounds with low water solubility. They are significantly less water soluble than comparable acids or alcohols due to: 1.) their non-ionic character 2.) the presence of nonpolar hydrocarbon functionality, and 3.) the inability of tertiary amides to donate hydrogen bonds to water (they can only be H-bond acceptors). Thus amides have water solubilities roughly comparable to esters. Typically amides are less soluble than comparable amines and carboxylic acids since these compounds can both donate and accept hydrogen bonds, and can ionize at appropriate pHs to further enhance solubility.
The lone pair of electrons on the Nitrogen interacts with the carbonyl (pi) Bonds like the (Pi Bonds) in benzene react with each other.

The Electronegative oxygen pulls the lone pairs of electrons toward itself ( hence why they arent used in acid/base reactions)

Amides can be distinguished from most other compounds by boiling with sodium hydroxide solution. After a short delay they give off ammonia. Ammonium salts treated in the same way give off ammonia immediately, and other nitrogen containing compounds yield no ammonia.

Uses of Amides:
Analgesic: pain reliever acetaminophen general pain relief

O HN CCH3

OH

anti-diarrheal: opiate derivatives with inability to produce recreational euphoria increase in general muscle tone of the small intestine increasing tonus means more absorption of water and nutrients and less diarrhea

Loperamide Imodium AD

barbiturate sedative anticonvulsant of epileptic

H N C O C N C H

O C O CH2CH3 CH2CH3

Only a part of the ring is shown because the diagram gets extremely cluttered if you try to draw any more. Notice that the p electron on each carbon atom is overlapping with those on both sides of it. This extensive sideways overlap produces a system of pi bonds which are spread out over the whole carbon ring. Because the electrons are no longer held between just two carbon atoms, but are spread over the whole ring, the electrons are said to be delocalised. The six delocalised electrons go into three molecular orbitals - two in each.
Remember: A molecular orbital is the region of space which contains a bonding pair of electrons. Warning! Be very careful how you phrase this in exams. You must never talk about the p orbitals on the carbons overlapping sideways to produce a delocalised pi bond. This upsets

examiners because a pi bond can only hold 2 electrons whereas in benzene there are 6 delocalised electrons. Talk instead about a "pi system" - or just about the delocalised electrons.