Methoxypropane, or methyl propyl ether, is an

ether In organic chemistry, ethers are a class of compounds that contain an ether group—an oxygen atom connected to two alkyl or aryl groups. They have the general formula , where R and R′ represent the alkyl or aryl groups. Ethers can again be ...

once used as a

general anaesthetic General anaesthetics (or anesthetics, see spelling differences) are often defined as compounds that induce a loss of consciousness in humans or loss of righting reflex in animals. Clinical definitions are also extended to include an induced com ...

. It is a clear colorless flammable liquid with a boiling point of 38.8 °C.''Merck Index'', 11th edition, 6031. Marketed under the trade names Metopryl and Neothyl, methoxypropane was used as an alternative to

diethyl ether Diethyl ether, or simply ether, is an organic compound in the ether class with the formula , sometimes abbreviated as (see Pseudoelement symbols). It is a colourless, highly volatile, sweet-smelling ("ethereal odour"), extremely flammable li ...

because of its greater potency. Its use as an anaesthetic has since been supplanted by modern

halogenated ether A halogenated ether is a subcategory of a larger group of chemicals known as ethers. An ether is an organic chemical that contains an ether group—an oxygen atom connected to two (substituted) alkyl groups. A good example of an ether is t ...

s which are much less flammable.

References

Dialkyl ethers General anesthetics GABAA receptor positive allosteric modulators {{organic-compound-stub