Chemical Suitability of Alcohols

Vocabulary flashcards covering the characteristics and practical suitability of methylpropan-2-ol and propan-2-ol in sanitizer and perfume manufacturing.

Methylpropan-2-ol

An alcohol that is less suitable for sanitizer production because it is highly branched and more bulky, preventing it from easily passing through the tiny pores in the cell membrane of disease-causing micro-organisms.

Propan-2-ol

An alcohol that is more suitable for perfume production because it is less branched and therefore more stable, making it less volatile.

Perfume Effectiveness

A property that depends on slow diffusion, which requires compounds that are less branched, more stable, and less volatile.