2-Propanol

2-Propanol is a secondary alcohol, also known as isopropanol, isopropyl alcohol, or sec-propyl alcohol. It is a clear, colorless, polar organic solvent with a mild odor. 2-Propanol is miscible with water, organic solvents, and various polar and non-polar substances, making it a versatile solvent with a wide range of solubility. It is widely used as a solvent in chemical reactions, extractions, and chromatography techniques. In Industrial applications, it is used in antifreezes, quick-drying oils, and quick-drying inks. Also, it is used as a solvent for gums, shellac, and essential oils, and can be used as a substitute for fuel in various fuel cells. In molecular biology, 2-Propanol is used as a bioreagent for DNA and RNA precipitation from mammalian tissues.

2-Propanol is used as a mobile phase in Ion-exchange chromatography as well as in High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) and High-Performance Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (HPLC-MS) for the separation of biological matrices and other compounds. It can also be used as a precursor in the preparation of methyl isobutyl ketone and for the analysis of organic volatile impurities.

2-Propanol in Analytical Chemistry

2-Propanol in HPLC

Isopropanol is used to as a component of the mobile phase in HPLC separation. It can be combined with other solvents to achieve specific chromatographic conditions.

2-Propanol in Gas Chromatography

Isopropanol is used to dissolve or dilute samples before injection into a gas chromatography system. It can also be utilized as a reagent in derivatization reactions prior to gas chromatography analysis.

2-Propanol in Preparative Chromatography

Preparative chromatography is a technique used for the separation and purification of larger quantities of compounds. Isopropanol is used as a component in the mobile phase composition, and for loading a sample onto the preparative chromatography column.

Gradient Grade 2-Propanol for Liquid Chromatography

Isopropanol is often used in gradient elution methods, where the composition of the mobile phase changes over time. By employing a gradient of isopropanol in combination with other solvents, it becomes possible to achieve effective separations of complex mixtures containing analyte with varying polarities.

2-Propanol as Reference Standard

Isopropanol is used as a pharmaceutical secondary standard in determining volatile solvents in herbal formulations by gas chromatography. The USP reference standard of 2-propanol is used in specified quality tests and assays. Also, isopropanol serves as a standard for analyzing tobacco.

Deuterated 2-Propanol

2-Propanol-d₈ is a deuterated derivative of isopropanol and is used in the preparation of 2-iodopropane-d₇. It also serves as a solvent for evaluating triplet decay constants, triplet lifetime, and photoreduction rate constants of benzophenone.

Isotopic/Labelled 2-Propanol

Labelled 2-Propanol (2-Propanol-1,3-¹³C₂) can be used in imaging techniques such as magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) or positron emission tomography (PET) to investigate metabolic processes in vivo.

Anhydrous 2-Propanol

Anhydrous 2-Propanol can be used as a drying agent or desiccant, as well as a carrier or medium for delivering catalysts or reagents in synthetic reactions. It can also be used as a solvent in the synthesis of esters and ethers from alcohols and carboxylic acids.