1-Nitropropane (1-NP) is a

solvent A solvent (s) (from the Latin '' solvō'', "loosen, untie, solve") is a substance that dissolves a solute, resulting in a solution. A solvent is usually a liquid but can also be a solid, a gas, or a supercritical fluid. Water is a solvent for ...

. It is a colorless liquid, an

isomer In chemistry, isomers are molecules or polyatomic ions with identical molecular formulae – that is, same number of atoms of each element – but distinct arrangements of atoms in space. Isomerism is existence or possibility of isomers. Iso ...

of 2-nitropropane (2-NP), and classified as a

nitro compound In organic chemistry, nitro compounds are organic compounds that contain one or more nitro functional groups (). The nitro group is one of the most common explosophores (functional group that makes a compound explosive) used globally. The nitr ...

Preparation

1-nitropropane is produced industrially by the reaction of

propane Propane () is a three-carbon alkane with the molecular formula . It is a gas at standard temperature and pressure, but compressible to a transportable liquid. A by-product of natural gas processing and petroleum refining, it is commonly used a ...

and

nitric acid Nitric acid is the inorganic compound with the formula . It is a highly corrosive mineral acid. The compound is colorless, but older samples tend to be yellow cast due to decomposition into oxides of nitrogen. Most commercially available nitri ...

. This reaction forms four nitroalkanes:

nitromethane Nitromethane, sometimes shortened to simply "nitro", is an organic compound with the chemical formula . It is the simplest organic nitro compound. It is a polar liquid commonly used as a solvent in a variety of industrial applications such as in ...

nitroethane Nitroethane is an organic compound having the chemical formula C2H5NO2. Similar in many regards to nitromethane, nitroethane is an oily liquid at standard temperature and pressure. Pure nitroethane is colorless and has a fruity odor. Preparati ...

, 1-nitropropane, and 2-nitropropane. 1-nitropropane is also a byproduct of the process for making 2-nitropropane, which is done by vapour phase nitration of propane.

Uses

Most 1-nitropropane is used as a starting material for other compounds. The other uses are solvent-based paints, solvent-based inks and adhesives, and as a solvent for chemical reactions.

Safety

1-nitropropane is toxic to humans and can cause damage to the kidneys and liver. The vapours are irritating for the lungs and eyes and the maximum exposure rate is 25 ppm.- MDMS sheets
/ref> It is not known to be a carcinogen.

Reactions

1-nitropropane decomposes under the influence of heat into toxic gases. It also reacts violently with

oxidizing agents An oxidizing agent (also known as an oxidant, oxidizer, electron recipient, or electron acceptor) is a substance in a redox chemical reaction that gains or " accepts"/"receives" an electron from a (called the , , or ). In other words, an oxid ...

and strong bases.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Nitropropane, 1- Nitroalkanes Nitro solvents