Isobutanol

Isobutanol, or 2-methyl-1-propanol, is a branched four-carbon alcohol. It is used as a solvent and as a feedstock for making chemicals and fuels.

Alcohol (chemistry): An organic compound with a hydroxyl group bonded to a saturated carbon atom. Isobutanol belongs to this family because it contains a hydroxyl group on a saturated carbon.
Solvent: A substance that dissolves another substance to form a solution. Isobutanol serves as a solvent in coatings, inks, and chemical processes.
Isobutanol biosynthesis: The metabolic production of isobutanol from sugars or other carbon sources. Engineered pathways redirect cellular metabolism to produce isobutanol.
1-Butanol: A straight-chain four-carbon alcohol with its hydroxyl group on the terminal carbon. It shares isobutanol’s formula but has an unbranched carbon skeleton.
Butanol: A family of four-carbon alcohols with several structural isomers. Isobutanol is one of the four principal structural isomers in this family.
Isobutyl acetate: An ester used as a solvent, made from isobutanol and acetic acid. This solvent is a direct derivative of isobutanol through esterification.
Valine biosynthesis: The biochemical pathway that cells use to produce the amino acid valine. A modified valine pathway supplies intermediates that can be converted into isobutanol.
2-Butanol: A four-carbon alcohol with its hydroxyl group on the second carbon. Its secondary hydroxyl position distinguishes it from isobutanol’s terminal hydroxyl group.
2-Methylpropane: A branched four-carbon alkane, also called isobutane. Replacing one hydrogen in this matching carbon skeleton with hydroxyl gives isobutanol.
Isobutyl acrylate: An acrylate ester used to make polymers and coatings. Isobutanol supplies the isobutyl group in this industrial monomer.

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tert-Butyl alcoholCompared with: It shares tert-butanol’s branched carbon skeleton but places the hydroxyl group at the end.