1-Pentanol, (or n-pentanol, pentan-1-ol), is an organic compound with the formula and is classified as a primary alcohol. It is a colourless liquid with a distinctive aroma. It is one of 8 isomeric alcohols with the formula . It is used as a solvent, a biological drying agent and in the synthesis of some fragrance compounds. It is also a common component of fusel alcohols (fusel oils), the undesirable byproducts of alcoholic fermentation.
Preparation
1-Pentanol is prepared from 1-butene by hydroformylation followed by hydrogenation of the resulting pentanal.
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Pentanol can be prepared by fractional distillation of fusel oil. To reduce the use of fossil fuels, research is underway to develop cost-effective methods of producing (chemically identical) bio-pentanol with fermentation.
Uses and occurrence
The hydroxyl group (OH) is the active site of many reactions. The ester formed from 1-pentanol and butyric acid is pentyl butyrate, which has an apricot-like odor. The ester formed from 1-pentanol and acetic acid is amyl acetate (also called pentyl acetate), which has a banana-like odor.
It is a precursor to dipentyl zinc dithiophosphates, which are used in froth flotation.
Pentanol is often used as a solvent.