Succinimide is a natural product found in Xanthium strumarium and Panax notoginseng with data available.Succinimide is a colorless acicular crystal or thin solid with light brown luster. It tastes sweet. Easily soluble in water, alcohol or sodium hydroxide solution, insoluble in ether, chloroform, etc. Succinimide dispersants appear as dark or brown-colored liquids with a thickness or viscosity similar to heavy syrup. They have little or no solubility in water, and because they are denser than water, will sink in a water environment. They are readily soluble in oil and lighter weight hydrocarbons, such as gasoline. Succinimide dispersants have very low vapor pressure and little noticeable odor at ambient temperatures.
Succinimide is used in organic syntheses and in industrial silver plating processes. It is a reagent that is used in the synthesis of Lumiflavin (L473900), which is a toxic photolysis product of vitamin B2 (R415000). Further, it is used to form covalent bonds between proteins, peptides and plastics. In addition to this, it is used as an important raw material for the synthesis of heterocyclic compounds through N-acyliminium cyclizations.