Editing Amyl alcohol

{{Short description|Chemical compound family}}
{{more refs|date=April 2022}}
'''Amyl alcohols''' are [[alcohols]] with the formula C<sub>5</sub>H<sub>11</sub>OH.<ref>[[Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary]] 11th Ed. 2004</ref> Eight are known.  A mixture of [[pentyl|amyl]] alcohols (also called amyl alcohol) can be obtained from [[fusel alcohol]]. Amyl alcohol is used as a solvent and in [[esterification]], by which is produced [[amyl acetate]] and other products. The name ''amyl alcohol'' without further specification applies to the normal (straight-chain) form, [[1-Pentanol|1-pentanol]].<ref>{{cite book |doi=10.1002/14356007.a01_279|chapter=Alcohols, Aliphatic|title=Ullmann's Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry|year=2000|last1=Falbe|first1=Jürgen|last2=Bahrmann|first2=Helmut|last3=Lipps|first3=Wolfgang|last4=Mayer|first4=Dieter|isbn=3527306730}}</ref>

:{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+'''Amyl alcohol isomers'''
|-
! Common name !! Structure !! Type !! [[Systematic name|IUPAC name]] !! Boiling point (°C)<ref>Calculated boiling points from [[ChemSpider]].</ref>
|-
| 1-pentanol<br/>or normal amyl alcohol
| [[Image:Pentan-1-ol-2D-skeletal.png|150px]]
| primary
| [[1-Pentanol|Pentan-1-ol]]
| 138.5
|-
| 2-methyl-1-butanol<br/>or active amyl alcohol
| [[Image:2-Methyl-1-butanol.svg|120px]]
| primary
| [[2-Methylbutan-1-ol]]
| 128.7
|-
| 3-methyl-1-butanol<br/>or isoamyl alcohol<br/>or isopentyl alcohol
| [[Image:Isoamyl alcohol.svg|120px]]
| primary
| [[Isoamyl alcohol|3-Methylbutan-1-ol]]
| 131.2
|-
| 2,2-dimethyl-1-propanol<br>or neopentyl alcohol
| [[Image:Neopentyl-alcohol-2D-skeletal.svg|100px]]
| primary
| [[2,2-Dimethylpropan-1-ol]]
| 113.1
|-
| 2-pentanol<br/>or ''sec''-amyl alcohol<br/>or methyl (n) propyl carbinol
| [[Image:Pentan-2-ol-2D-skeletal.png|100px]]
| secondary
| [[Pentan-2-ol]]
| 118.8
|-
| 3-methyl-2-butanol<br/>or ''sec''-isoamyl alcohol<br/>or methyl isopropyl carbinol
| [[Image:3-methylbutan-2-ol-2D-skeletal.png|80px]]
| secondary
| [[3-Methylbutan-2-ol]]
| 113.6
|-
| 3-Pentanol
| [[Image:Pentan-3-ol-2D-skeletal.png|100px]]
| secondary
| [[Pentan-3-ol]]
| 115.3
|-
| 2-methyl-2-butanol<br/>or ''tert''-amyl alcohol
| [[Image:Tert-pentyl-alcohol-2D-skeletal.svg|100px]]
| tertiary
| [[2-Methylbutan-2-ol]]
| 102
|}

Three of these alcohols, 2-methyl-1-butanol, 2-pentanol, and 3-methyl-2-butanol (methyl isopropyl carbinol), contain stereocenters, and are therefore chiral and [[optical isomerism|optically active]].

The most important amyl alcohol is [[isoamyl alcohol]], the chief one generated by fermentation in the production of alcoholic beverages and a constituent of [[fusel oil]]. The other amyl alcohols may be obtained synthetically.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Alcohols}}
{{GABAAR PAMs}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Amyl Alcohol}}
[[Category:Alkanols]]
[[Category:GABAA receptor positive allosteric modulators]]