Pentan-2-ol is a secondary alcohol that is pentane substituted by a hydroxy group at position 2.
Definition
Pentan-2-ol is a secondary alcohol that is pentane substituted by a hydroxy group at position 2. It has a role as a fragrance, a polar solvent and a plant metabolite. It is a pentanol and a secondary alcohol.
Source: PubChem
US FDA substance register · UNII 04G7050365 · registered name 2-PENTANOL · single chemical substance
Cosmetic roles
Safety & regulatory references
Not classified under Korea’s toxic-substance GHS list · existing chemical substance
More data — names, identifiers, properties, test records, literature
Names & identifiers
- CAS No.chemical registry number
- 6032-29-7
- EC No.EU chemical inventory number
- 227-907-6
- DTXSIDUS EPA chemical ID
- DTXSID3052721
- DTXCIDUS EPA compound ID
- DTXCID1031333
- IUPAC
- Pentan-2-ol
- Molecular formula
- C5H12O
- Molecular weight
- 88.15 g/mol
Measured properties
- Appearance
- Sec-amyl alcohol appears as a clear colorless liquid with a strong odor. Moderately toxic by ingestion and vapors may irritate skin and eyes. Vapors are heavier than air. · Colorless liquid (racemic form), [Hawley]
- Boiling point
- 234 °F at 760 mmHg (NIOSH, 2024) · 119 °C
- Melting point
- -73 °C · -50 °C
- Solubility
- 44.6 mg/mL at 25 °C · Solubility in water, g/100ml at 20 °C: 16.6 (good)
- Density
- 0.82 (NIOSH, 2024) - Less dense than water, will float · Relative density (water = 1): 0.8
- Viscosity
- 5.3 mm²/s at 20 °C · 5.3 ㎡/s(20 ℃)
- Colour
- colourless
- Melting/freezing point
- -50 ℃
- Initial boiling point and range
- 119 ℃
- Flash point
- 33 ℃
- Upper/lower flammability or explosive limits
- 10.5 / 1.2 %
- Vapour pressure
- 0.55 ㎪( 20 ℃)
- Water solubility
- 16.6 g/㎖(20 ℃)
- Vapour density
- 3 (air=1)
- Relative density
- 1.01 (20 ℃, air=1)
- n-Octanol/water partition coefficient (Kow)
- 1.25
- Auto-ignition temperature
- 330 ℃
- Molecular weight
- 88.2
Values measured on the substance itself. The KOSHA data are a reference for writing and reviewing safety data sheets, not a specification for a commercial raw material.
Source: PubChem · KOSHA safety data sheets (Korea)
What products actually use it for
What the 4 products reported to the US EPA with this ingredient use it for. Products outside cosmetics are included, so the top few rows are its main uses.
- Fragrance2
- Flavouring and nutrient2
Source: US EPA CompTox dashboard
Irritation and sensitisation studies
1 skin studies and 1 eye studies are on record.
The study conclusions largely agree (100%). These tests are on the raw material itself; irritation at the amount in a finished product is a different question.
See all 2 studies
- Category 6.3A (Category 2)
Skin Irritation · Read Across - Category 6.4A (Category 2A)
Eye Irritation · Read Across
Source: US EPA CompTox dashboard
Related literature
- Pentanole [MAK Value Documentation in German language, 2016] · 2016
- Initial Studies Using Aliphatic β-Nitro Alcohols for Therapeutic Corneal Cross-Linking · 2008
- Antioxidant Activity and GC-MS Analysis of the Essential Oil of Amygdalus Spinosissima Seeds Grown in Balochistan · 2022
- Percutaneous absorption of thirty-eight organic solvents in vitro using pig skin · 2018
- Short chain aliphatic beta-nitro alcohols for corneoscleral cross-linking: corneal endothelial toxicity studies. · 2008
Linked databases 16
- Australian Industrial Chemicals Inventory (AICIS)
- ChEBI
- ChEMBL
- EU CosIng ingredient list 2
- Korea toxic substances GHS register (NIER)
- KOSHA safety data sheets (Korea)
- NIST Chemistry WebBook
- PubChem 2
- Tlooto literature search 2 3 4 5
- UniChem cross-reference IDs
- US EPA CompTox dashboard 2
- US EPA DSSTox chemical database
- US FDA substance registration (GSRS)
- US FDA Unique Ingredient Identifier (UNII)
- Wikidata
- Wikipedia · English · Japanese · Chinese