Diisopropyl ether is secondary

ether In organic chemistry, ethers are a class of compounds that contain an ether group—an oxygen atom connected to two alkyl or aryl groups. They have the general formula , where R and R′ represent the alkyl or aryl groups. Ethers can again be c ...

that is used as 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 that is slightly soluble in water, but miscible with organic solvents. It is used as an extractant and an

oxygenate Oxygenated chemical compounds contain oxygen as a part of their chemical structure. The term usually refers to oxygenated chemical compounds added to fuels. Oxygenates are usually employed as gasoline additives to reduce carbon monoxide and soot ...

gasoline additive. It is obtained industrially as a byproduct in the production of isopropanol by

hydration Hydration may refer to: * Hydrate, a substance that contains water * Hydration enthalpy, energy released through hydrating a substance * Hydration reaction, a chemical addition reaction where a hydroxyl group and proton are added to a compound * ...

propylene Propylene, also known as propene, is an unsaturated organic compound with the chemical formula CH3CH=CH2. It has one double bond, and is the second simplest member of the alkene class of hydrocarbons. It is a colorless gas with a faint petro ...

. Diisopropyl ether is sometimes represented by the abbreviation DIPE.

Uses

Whereas at 20 °C,

diethyl ether Diethyl ether, or simply ether, is an organic compound in the ether class with the formula , sometimes abbreviated as (see Pseudoelement symbols). It is a colourless, highly volatile, sweet-smelling ("ethereal odour"), extremely flammable liq ...

will dissolve 1% by weight water, diisopropyl ether only dissolves 0.88%. Diisopropyl ether is used as a specialized solvent to remove or extract polar organic compounds from aqueous solutions, e.g. phenols, ethanol, acetic acid. It has also been used as an

antiknock agent An antiknock agent is a gasoline additive used to reduce engine knocking and increase the fuel's octane rating by raising the temperature and pressure at which auto-ignition occurs. The mixture known as gasoline or petrol, when used in high comp ...

. In the laboratory, diisopropyl ether is useful for recrystallizations because it has a wide liquid range. Diisopropyl ether is used for converting bromoboranes, which are thermally labile, into isopropoxy derivatives.

Safety

Diisopropyl ether forms explosive

peroxides In chemistry, peroxides are a group of compounds with the structure , where R = any element. The group in a peroxide is called the peroxide group or peroxo group. The nomenclature is somewhat variable. The most common peroxide is hydrogen p ...

upon standing in air. This reaction proceeds more easily than for

ethyl ether Diethyl ether, or simply ether, is an organic compound in the ether class with the formula , sometimes abbreviated as (see Pseudoelement symbols). It is a colourless, highly volatile, sweet-smelling ("ethereal odour"), extremely flammable liq ...

due to the increased lability of the C-H bond adjacent to oxygen. Many explosions have been known to occur during handling or processing of old diisopropyl ether. Some laboratory procedures recommend use of freshly opened bottles. Antioxidants can be used to prevent this process. The stored solvent are generally be tested for the presence of peroxides. It is recommended once every 3 months for diisopropyl ether compared to once every 12 months for ethyl ether. Peroxides may be removed by shaking the ether with an aqueous solution of

iron(II) sulfate Iron(II) sulfate (British English: iron(II) sulphate) or ferrous sulfate denotes a range of salts with the formula Fe SO4·''x''H2O. These compounds exist most commonly as the heptahydrate (''x'' = 7) but several values for x are know ...

sodium metabisulfite Sodium metabisulfite or sodium pyrosulfite (IUPAC spelling; Br. E. sodium metabisulphite or sodium pyrosulphite) is an inorganic compound of chemical formula Na2S2O5. The substance is sometimes referred to as disodium metabisulfite. It is used a ...

. For safety reasons, methyl ''tert''-butyl ether is often used as an alternative solvent.

References

External links

*{{ICSC, 0906, 09 Dialkyl ethers Ether solvents Oxygenates Isopropyl compounds Symmetrical ethers Sweet-smelling chemicals

Uses

Safety

See also

References

External links