MOLECULE

3-Pentanol

3-Pentanol, also known as (C2H5)2choh or 3-pentyl alcohol, belongs to the class of organic compounds known as secondary alcohols. Secondary alcohols are compounds containing a secondary alcohol functional group, with the general structure HOC(R)(R') (R, R'=alkyl, aryl). 3-Pentanol is an extremely weak basic (essentially neutral) compound (based on its pKa). 3-Pentanol is a sweet, fruit, and herbal tasting compound. 3-Pentanol has been detected, but not quantified in, prickly pears. This could make 3-pentanol a potential biomarker for the consumption of these foods. 3-Pentanol is one of eight isomers of amyl alcohol. An amyl alcohol is any of 8 alcohols with the formula C5H12O. A mixture of amyl alcohols (also called amyl alcohol) can be obtained from fusel alcohol. Amyl alcohol is used as a solvent and in esterfication, by which is produced amyl acetate and other important products. The name amyl alcohol without further specification applies to the normal (straight-chain) form, 1-pentanol.