Isopropyl Ether

isopropyl ether [¦ī·sə¦prō·pəl ′ē·thər]

(organic chemistry)

(CH₃)₂CHOCH(CH₃)₂Water-soluble, flammable, colorless liquid with etherlike aroma; boils at 68°C; used as a solvent and extractant, in paint and varnish removers, and in spotting formulas. Also known as diisopropyl ether.

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Isopropyl Ether 

diisopropyl ether, the simple aliphatic ether (CH₃)₂CHOCH(CH₃)₂.

Isopropyl ether is a colorless volatile liquid with a characteristic ethereal odor. Boiling point, 68.5°C; density, 0.7244 g/cm³(20°C); n_D²⁰, 1.3681; flash point, -22.5°C; explosive limits in air, 1.1–4.5 percent by volume (100°C). At 20°C, water dissolves 0.94 weight-percent of the ether; the solubility of water in the ether is 0.55 weight-percent. Isopropyl ether is miscible with organic solvents; it forms an azeotrope with water (96.4 percent ether; boiling point, 61.4°C).

Isopropyl ether is made either by the sulfuric-acid dehydration of isopropanol or directly from propylene and water in the presence of sulfuric acid. It has limited use as a solvent for oils and fats.