Formula C3H4O Boiling point 113.6 °C | Density 972 kg/m³ | |
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Appearance Colorless to straw-colored liquid | ||
Propargyl alcohol, or 2-propyn-1-ol, is an organic compound with the formula C3H4O. It is the simplest stable alcohol containing an alkyne functional group. Propargyl alcohol is a colorless viscous liquid that is miscible with water and most polar organic solvents.
Contents
Reactions and applications
Propargyl alcohol polymerizes with heating or treatment with base. It is used as a corrosion inhibitor, a metal complex solution, a solvent stabilizer and an electroplating brightener additive. It is also used as an intermediate in organic synthesis. Secondary and tertiary substituted propargylic alcohols undergo catalyzed rearrangement reactions to form α,β-unsaturated carbonyl compounds via the Meyer–Schuster rearrangement and others. It can be oxidized to propynal or propargylic acid.
Preparation
Propargyl alcohol is produced by the copper-catalysed addition of formaldehyde to acetylene as a by-product of the industrial synthesis of but-2-yne-1,4-diol. It can also be prepared by dehydrochlorination of 3-chloro-2-propen-1-ol by NaOH.
Safety
Propargyl alcohol is a flammable liquid, toxic by inhalation, highly toxic by ingestion, toxic by skin absorption, and corrosive.