Chemistry:4-Ethyltoluene

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4-Ethyltoluene
P-Ethyltoluene.png
Names
Preferred IUPAC name
1-Ethyl-4-methylbenzene
Other names
p-Ethylmethylbenzene, p-Ethyltoluene
Identifiers
3D model (JSmol)
ChemSpider
UNII
Properties
C9H12
Molar mass 120.195 g·mol−1
Appearance colorless liquid
Density 0.861 g/cm3
Boiling point 162 °C (324 °F; 435 K)
Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa).
Infobox references
Tracking categories (test):

4-Ethyltoluene is an organic compound with the formula CH3C6H4C2H5. It is one of three isomers of ethyltoluene, the other two isomers being 3-ethyltoluene and 2-ethyltoluene. All are colorless liquids and all are used for the production of specialty polystyrenes.

Production and use

Ethyltoluene is produced by ethylation of toluene:

CH3C6H5 + C2H4 → CH3C6H4C2H5

Over typical acid catalysts, this process gives a mixture of the 2-, 3-, and 4- isomers. Using a modified zeolite catalyst, the alkylation is shape-selective for the 4- isomer.[1]

4-Ethyltoluene is subjected dehydrogenation to give 4-vinyltoluene.[2]

References

  1. Karl Griesbaum, Arno Behr, Dieter Biedenkapp, Heinz-Werner Voges, Dorothea Garbe, Christian Paetz, Gerd Collin, Dieter Mayer, Hartmut Höke "Hydrocarbons" in Ullmann's Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry 2002 Wiley-VCH, Weinheim. doi:10.1002/14356007.a13_227
  2. Denis H. James; William M. Castor (2007), "Styrene", Ullmann's Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry (7th ed.), Wiley, p. 1, doi:10.1002/14356007.a25_329.pub2