1-Octanol
1-Octanol also known as Octan-1-ol is the organic compound with the molecular formula CH3(CH2)7OH. It is a fatty alcohol. Many other isomers are also known generically as octanols. 1-Octanol is manufactured for the synthesis of esters for use in perfumes and flavorings. Esters of octanol, such as octyl acetate, occur as components of essential oils. It is used to evaluate the lipophilicity of pharmaceutical products.
Preparation
Octanol is produced industrially by the oligomerization of ethylene using triethylaluminium followed by oxidation of the alkylaluminium products. This route is known as the Ziegler alcohol synthesis. An idealized synthesis is shown:
The process generates a range of alcohols, which are separated by distillation.
Water/octanol partitioning
Octanol and water are immiscible. The distribution of a compound between water and octanol is used to calculate the partition coefficient 'P' of that molecule (often expressed as its logarithm to the base 10, log P). Water/ octanol partitioning is a relatively good approximation of the partitioning between the cytosol and lipid membranes of living systems.
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