描述
Ethyl pentyl ketone, also known as 3-oxooctane or eak, is a member of the class of compounds known as ketones. Ketones are organic compounds in which a carbonyl group is bonded to two carbon atoms R2C=O (neither R may be a hydrogen atom). Ketones that have one or more alpha-hydrogen atoms undergo keto-enol tautomerization, the tautomer being an enol. Thus, ethyl pentyl ketone is considered to be an oxygenated hydrocarbon lipid molecule. Ethyl pentyl ketone is slightly soluble (in water) and an extremely weak basic (essentially neutral) compound (based on its pKa). Ethyl pentyl ketone is a sweet, butter, and fresh tasting compound and can be found in a number of food items such as rosemary, hyssop, spearmint, and rocket salad (sspecies), which makes ethyl pentyl ketone a potential biomarker for the consumption of these food products. Ethyl pentyl ketone can be found primarily in feces and saliva. Ethyl pentyl ketone exists in all eukaryotes, ranging from yeast to humans.