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AMYL ALCOHOLS (C5H11OH)

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Originally appearing in Volume V01, Page 900 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
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AMYL See also:

ALCOHOLS (C5H11OH) . Eight amyl alcohols are known: normal amyl See also:alcohol CH3•(See also:CH2)4.OH, isobutyl carbinol or isoamyl alcohol (See also:CH3)2•CH•CH2•CH2OH, active amyl alcohol (CH3) (C2H5):CH• See also:CH2OH,tertiarybutylcarbinol(CH3)3C• CH2OH, diethyl carbinol (C2H5)2CH•OH, methyl (n) propyl carbinol (CH3•CH2.CH2)(CH3):CH:OH, methyl isopropyl carbinol (CH3)2:CH(CH3):CHOH, and dimethyl See also:ethyl carbinol (CH3)2•(C2H5):C•OH. Of these alcohols, the first four are See also:primary, the last one a See also:tertiary, the other three secondary alcohols; three of them, viz. active amyl alcohol, methyl (n) propyl carbinol, and methyl isopropyl carbinol, contain an See also:asymmetric See also:carbon See also:atom and can consequently each exist in two optically active, and one optically inactive See also:form. The most important is isobutyl carbinol, this being the chiefAMYNTAS constituent of See also:fermentation amyl alcohol, and consequently a constituent of fusel (q.v.) oil. It may be separated from fusel oil by shaking with strong brine See also:solution, separating the oily layer from the brine layer and distilling it, the portion boiling between 125° and 14o°C. being collected. For further See also:purification it may be shaken with hot See also:milk of See also:lime, the oily layer separated, dried with See also:calcium chloride and fractionated, the fraction boiling between 128° and 132°C. only being collected. It may be synthetically prepared from isobutyl alcohol by See also:conversion into isovaleryl-aldehyde, which is subsequently reduced to isobutyl carbinol by means of See also:sodium See also:amalgam. It is a colourless liquid of specific gravity o•8248 (o°C.), boiling at 131.6°C., slightly soluble in See also:water, easily soluble in alcohol, See also:ether, See also:chloroform and See also:benzene. It possesses a characteristic strong See also:smell and a See also:sharp burning See also:taste. When perfectly pure, it is not a See also:poison, although the impure product is. On passing its vapour through a red-hot See also:tube, it undergoes decomposition with See also:production of See also:acetylene, See also:ethylene, propylene, &c. It is oxidized by chromic See also:acid mixture to isovaleryl-aldehyde; and it forms crystalline addition compounds with calcium and stannic chlorides.

The other amyl alcohols may be obtained synthetically. Of these, tertiary butyl carbinol has been the most difficult to obtain, its See also:

synthesis having only been accomplished in 1891, by L. Tissier (Comptes Rendus, 1891, 112, p. 1065) by the reduction of a mixture of trimethyl acetic acid and trimethylacetyl chloride with sodium amalgam. It is a solid which_melts at 48°—5o° C. and boils at 112.3° C.

End of Article: AMYL ALCOHOLS (C5H11OH)

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AMYL NITRITE (isoamyl nitrite), C5H11

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