Isopentane

Isopentane, also called methylbutane or 2-methylbutane, is a branched-chain saturated hydrocarbon (an alkane) with five carbon atoms, with formula C
5
H
12
or CH(CH
3
)
2
(C
2
H
5
)
.

Isopentane
Names
Preferred IUPAC name
2-Methylbutane
Other names
Isopentane
Identifiers
  • 78-78-4 Y
3D model (JSmol)
  • Interactive image
1730723
ChEBI
  • CHEBI:30362 Y
ChemSpider
  • 6308 Y
ECHA InfoCard 100.001.039
EC Number
  • 201-142-8
49318
MeSH isopentane
  • 6556
RTECS number
  • EK4430000
UNII
  • ZH67814I0O Y
UN number 1265
  • DTXSID901335409, DTXSID201032357 DTXSID8025468, DTXSID901335409, DTXSID201032357
  • InChI=1S/C5H12/c1-4-5(2)3/h5H,4H2,1-3H3 Y
    Key: QWTDNUCVQCZILF-UHFFFAOYSA-N Y
  • CCC(C)C
Properties
C5H12
Molar mass 72.151 g·mol−1
Appearance Colorless liquid
Odor Gasoline-like
Density 616 mg mL−1
Melting point −161 to −159 °C; −258 to −254 °F; 112 to 114 K
Boiling point 27.8 to 28.2 °C; 81.9 to 82.7 °F; 300.9 to 301.3 K
Vapor pressure 76.992 kPa (at 20 °C)
Henry's law
constant (kH)
7.2 nmol Pa−1 kg−1
UV-vis (λmax) 192 nm
1.354
Viscosity 0.214 cP (at 20 °C)
Thermochemistry
164.85 J K−1 mol−1
260.41 J K−1 mol−1
−179.1–−177.3 kJ mol−1
~ 3.3 MJ mol−1, 19,664 Btu/lb
Hazards
GHS labelling:
Signal word
Danger
H224, H301, H302, H305, H336, H411
P210, P261, P273, P301+P310, P331
NFPA 704 (fire diamond)
1
4
0
Flash point −51 °C (−60 °F; 222 K)
420 °C (788 °F; 693 K)
Explosive limits 1.4–8.3%
Related compounds
Related alkanes
Related compounds
2-Ethyl-1-butanol
Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa).
N verify (what is YN ?)
Infobox references

Isopentane is a volatile and flammable liquid. It is one of three structural isomers with the molecular formula C5H12, the others being pentane (n-pentane) and neopentane (2,2-dimethylpropane).

Isopentane is commonly used in conjunction with liquid nitrogen to achieve a liquid bath temperature of −160 °C. Natural gas typically contains 1% or less isopentane, but it is a significant component of natural gasoline.

History

Although the mixture of pentanes was first isolated from the destructive distillation (pyrolysis) products of the boghead coal by Charles Greville Williams in 1862. In 1864–1865 two chemists tried to extract same hydrocarbons from the Pennsylvanian oil. Carl Schorlemmer noted "that a mere trace of the liquid boiled below 30°C", but the first to properly separate isomers (and thus discover isopentane) was American chemist Cyrus Warren (1824–1891) slightly later, who measured the boiling point of the more volatile one at 30°C.

Nomenclature

The traditional name isopentane, attested in English as early as 1875, was still retained in the 1993 IUPAC recommendations, but is no longer recommended according to the 2013 recommendations. The preferred IUPAC name is the systematic name 2-methylbutane. An isopentyl group is a subset of the generic pentyl group. It has the chemical structure -CH3CH2CH(CH3)2.

Uses

Isopentane is used in a closed loop in geothermal power production to drive turbines.

Isopentane is used, in conjunction with dry ice or liquid nitrogen, to freeze tissues for cryosectioning in histology.

Isopentane is a major component (sometimes 30% or more) of natural gasoline, an analog of common petroleum-derived gasoline that is condensed from natural gas. Its share in commercial car fuel is highly variable: 19–45% in 1990s Sweden, 4–31% in 1990s US and 3.6–11% in the US in 2011. It has a substantially higher octane rating (RON 93.7) than n-pentane (61.7), and therefore there is interest in conversion from the latter.

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