Butanediol Explained

Butanediol, also called butylene glycol, may refer to any one of four stable structural isomers:

Geminal diols

There are also two geminal diols (gem-diols), which are less stable:

Isobutylene glycol and methylpropanediol

Isobutylene glycol may be considered a kind of butylene glycol, similarly to butane historically including n-butane and i-butane (isobutane). The modern name for the closely related type of compounds is methylpropanediol. There are two stable structural isomers:

and one unstable geminal diol:

These three methylpropanediols are structural isomers of butanediols. They are not chiral.

Examples

2-Methylpropane-1,3-diol derivatives:

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Butanediol. PubChem.
  2. Web site: Propanediol, methyl-. PubChem.