MOLECULE

2-Butanone

2-Butanone or Butanone, also known as methylethylketone or MEK, belongs to the class of organic compounds known as ketones. It is an organic compound with the formula CH3C(O)CH2CH3. Ketones are organic compounds in which a carbonyl group is bonded to two carbon atoms R2C=O (neither R may be a hydrogen atom). Ketones that have one or more alpha-hydrogen atoms undergo keto-enol tautomerization, the tautomer being an enol. Thus, butanone is considered to be an oxygenated hydrocarbon lipid molecule. Butanone is a very hydrophobic molecule, practically insoluble in water, and relatively neutral. It has been isolated from hop oil (Humulus lupulus), white clover (Trifolium repens), tea, tomatoes, various fruits and other vegetable sources. It is used in the refining and extraction of fats and oils. Butanone is an irritant, but serious health effects in animals have been seen only at very high levels. When inhaled, these effects included birth defects. Butanone occurs as a natural product. It is produced by some trees and found in some fruits and vegetables in small amounts. It is also released to the air from car and truck exhausts. The known health effects to people from exposure to butanone are irritation of the nose, throat, skin, and eyes. This colorless liquid has a sharp, sweet odor, reminiscent of butterscotch and acetone. It is produced industrially at a large scale, and also occurs in trace amounts in nature. Butanol can also be found in the volatile fraction of Cannabis sativa (PMID: 26657499) and is likely a component of marijuana smoke (https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-59259-947-9_2).