An amine oxide, also known as amine-N-oxide and N-oxide, is a chemical compound that contains the functional group R3N+–O−, an N–O bond with three additional hydrogen and/or hydrocarbon side chains attached to N. Sometimes it is written as R3N→O or, wrongly, as R3N=O.In the strict sense the term amine oxide applies only to oxides of tertiary amines. Sometimes it is also used for the analogous derivatives of primary and secondary amines.