描述
1-butanol, also known as 1-butyl alcohol or 1-hydroxybutane, is a member of the class of compounds known as primary alcohols. Primary alcohols are compounds comprising the primary alcohol functional group, with the general structure RCOH (R=alkyl, aryl). Thus, 1-butanol is considered to be a fatty alcohol lipid molecule. 1-butanol is soluble (in water) and an extremely weak acidic compound (based on its pKa). 1-butanol can be found in a number of food items such as sugar apple, kumquat, cherry tomato, and angelica, which makes 1-butanol a potential biomarker for the consumption of these food products. 1-butanol can be found primarily in blood, feces, and saliva, as well as throughout most human tissues. 1-butanol exists in all eukaryotes, ranging from yeast to humans. Moreover, 1-butanol is found to be associated with diabetes mellitus type 2. The largest use of n-butanol is as an industrial intermediate, particularly for the manufacture of butyl acetate (itself an artificial flavorant and industrial solvent). It is a petrochemical, manufactured from propylene and usually used close to the point of manufacture. Estimated production figures for 1997 are: United States 784,000 tonnes; Western Europe 575,000 tonnes; Japan 225,000 tonnes .