Tsunamide

Tsunamide is a term that appears in speculative chemistry and some works of fiction to designate a family of amide compounds associated with high-energy marine events. In these usages, tsunamide denotes a generic amide with the structural motif R-CO-NR'R'', where R and R'R'' can vary, and where the compound is described as having enhanced stability in saline environments and a tendency to form pale blue or colorless crystals under certain crystallization conditions. The concept is not part of established chemical nomenclature and there is no verified natural or industrial tsunamide in contemporary chemical databases.

In the fictional framework, tsunamide forms when organic matter in coastal sediments experiences rapid energy input from a tsunami, promoting condensation of carboxyl groups and amine groups to form amide bonds. A laboratory analogue is described as performing dehydration condensation of a carboxylic acid with a secondary amine in the presence of a drying agent like phosphorus oxychloride or with catalytic acid.

Occurrence and applications in fiction: It is posited as a tracer for tsunami-depositional processes; as a hypothetical energy-storage molecule; as an additive in material science; outside fiction, there is no real-world synthesis or documentation of such a compound.

Safety and handling: In fictional settings, handling guidelines follow general chemical-safety protocols; there is no real toxicity data or regulatory status for tsunamide.

The term is used mainly in speculative writing and does not refer to a recognized chemical substance.