Structure via PubChem · Public domain (PubChem)
propiolactone
Sign in to saveAlso known as BPL, hydroacrylic acid, β-lactone, 3-hydroxy-β-lactone, 3-hydroxy-propionic acid, 2-oxetanone, 3-propiolactone, β-propiolactone
β-Propiolactone, often simply called propiolactone, is an organic compound with the formula . It is a member of the lactone family, with a four-membered ring. It is a colorless liquid with a slightly sweet odor, highly soluble in water and organic solvents. The carcinogenicity of this compound has limited its commercial applications.
Chemical data
- Formula
- C3H4O2
- Molecular weight
- 72.06 g/mol
- IUPAC name
- oxetan-2-one
- SMILES
- C1COC1=O
- InChIKey
- VEZXCJBBBCKRPI-UHFFFAOYSA-N
- XLogP
- -0.2
- Polar surface area
- 26.3 Ų
- H-bond donors
- 0
- H-bond acceptors
- 2
- Formal charge
- 0
via PubChem
Research
909 papers- β-Propiolactone, its application and assay methods.Analytical methods : advancing methods and applications · 2025
- beta-Propiolactone.IARC monographs on the evaluation of carcinogenic risks to humans · 1999
- β-Propiolactone (BPL)-inactivation of SARS-Co-V-2: In vitro validation with focus on saliva from COVID-19 patients for scent dog training.Journal of virological methods · 2023
- Carcinogenesis of β-Propiolactone: A Computational Study.Chemical research in toxicology · 2020
- The genetic properties of beta-propiolactone.Mutation research · 1977
via PubMed
~2 min read
Encyclopedic overview
5 sectionsContents
- Production
- Reactions and applications
- Safety
- See also
- References
β-Propiolactone, often simply called propiolactone, is an organic compound with the formula . It is a member of the lactone family, with a four-membered ring. It is a colorless liquid with a slightly sweet odor, highly soluble in water and organic solvents. The carcinogenicity of this compound has limited its commercial applications.
==Production== β-Propiolactone is prepared industrially by the reaction of formaldehyde and ethenone in the presence of aluminium- or zinc chloride as catalyst:
Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “propiolactone” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.