What is "butanol"

butanol \butanol\ (b[=u]t"[a^]n*[add]l), n. a flammable alcohol ( C4H9.OH) derived from butane and used as a solvent.

Syn: butyl alcohol.

n. 1 (context organic compound English) Any of four isomeric aliphatic alcohols, C₄H₉-OH 2 # butan-1-ol or n-butanol or butyl alcohol - CH₃(CH₂)₃-OH 3 # butan-2-ol or sec-butanol - CH₃CH₂CH(CH₃)-OH 4 # 2-methyl-propan-1-ol or iso-butanol - (CH₃)₂CHCH₂-OH 5 # 1,1-dimethyl-ethanol or tert-butanol - (CH₃)₃C-OH

n. a flammable alcohol derived from butanes and used for solvents [syn: butyl alcohol]

Butanol (also called butyl alcohol) is a four-carbon alcohol with a formula of C H OH, which occurs in four isomeric structures, from a straight-chain primary alcohol to a branched-chain tertiary alcohol; all are a butyl or isobutyl group linked to a hydroxyl group (sometimes represented as BuOH, n-BuOH, and i-BuOH). These are n-butanol, 2-butanol, tert-butanol, and isobutanol. Butanol is primarily used as a solvent, as an intermediate in chemical synthesis, and as a fuel. It is sometimes also called biobutanol when produced biologically.