MOLECULE

Tert-Butyl alcohol

Tert-Butyl alcohol (TBA), also called tert-butanol or t-butanol, is the simplest tertiary alcohol, with a formula of (CH3)3COH (sometimes represented as t-BuOH). It is one of the four isomers of butanol. It is unique among the isomers of butanol because it tends to be a solid at room temperature, with a melting point slightly above 25 °C. It has a camphor-like odor and is miscible with water, ethanol and diethyl ether. tert-Butyl alcohol is derived commercially from isobutane as a coproduct of propylene oxide production. It can also be produced by the catalytic hydration of isobutylene, or by a Grignard reaction between acetone and methylmagnesium chloride. tert-Butyl alcohol is used as a solvent, ethanol denaturant, paint remover ingredient, and gasoline octane booster. tert-Butyl alcohol is found in guava and ginger and it has also been identified in beer and chickpeas. It has also been detected in the volatile fraction of Cannabis sativa samples (PMID: 26657499).