Levulinic acid
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| Levulinic acid | |
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| IUPAC name | 4-Oxopentanoic acid |
| Other names | Levulinic acid Laevulinic acid β-Acetylpropionic acid 3-Acetopropionic acid |
| Identifiers | |
| CAS number | [123-76-2] |
| SMILES | OC(CCCC(C)=O)=O |
| Properties | |
| Molecular formula | C5H8O3 |
| Molar mass | 116.11 g/mol |
| Density | 1.1447 g/cm3 |
| Melting point |
33-35 °C |
| Boiling point |
245-246 °C |
| Except where noted otherwise, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C, 100 kPa) Infobox disclaimer and references |
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Levulinic acid, or 4-oxopentanoic acid, is a white crystalline keto acid prepared from levulose, inulin, starch, etc., by boiling them with dilute hydrochloric or sulfuric acids. It is soluble in water, ethanol, and diethyl ether, but essentially insoluble in aliphatic hydrocarbons.
Levulinic acid is used in the manufacture of nylons, synthetic rubbers, plastics, and pharmaceuticals. It is a precursor in the industrial production of other chemical commodities such as methyltetrahydrofuran, valerolactone, and ethyl levulinate. As well, Levulinic acid is used in cigarettes to increase nicotine delivery in smoke and binding of nicotine to neural receptors.[1]
[edit] References
- ^ Doris Cullen et al., A Guide to Deciphering the Internal Codes Used by the Tobacco Industry, Harvard School of Public Health Division of Public Health Practice Tobacco Research Program, August 2005
- Merck Index, 11th Edition, 5352.
- This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain.
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