Propanethiol is an

organic compound In chemistry, organic compounds are generally any chemical compounds that contain carbon- hydrogen or carbon-carbon bonds. Due to carbon's ability to catenate (form chains with other carbon atoms), millions of organic compounds are known. Th ...

with the molecular formula C₃H₈S. It belongs to the group of

thiol In organic chemistry, a thiol (; ), or thiol derivative, is any organosulfur compound of the form , where R represents an alkyl or other organic substituent. The functional group itself is referred to as either a thiol group or a sulfhydryl gro ...

s. It is a colorless liquid with a strong, offensive odor. It is moderately toxic and is less dense than water and slightly soluble in water. It is used as a feedstock for insecticides. It is highly flammable and it gives off irritating or toxic fumes (or gases) in a fire. Heating it will cause rise in pressure with risk of bursting.

Chemistry

Propanethiol is chemically classified among the

s, which are

organic compounds In chemistry, organic compounds are generally any chemical compounds that contain carbon-hydrogen or carbon-carbon bonds. Due to carbon's ability to catenate (form chains with other carbon atoms), millions of organic compounds are known. The ...

with

molecular formula In chemistry, a chemical formula is a way of presenting information about the chemical proportions of atoms that constitute a particular chemical compound or molecule, using chemical element symbols, numbers, and sometimes also other symbols, ...

s and

structural formula The structural formula of a chemical compound is a graphic representation of the molecular structure (determined by structural chemistry methods), showing how the atoms are possibly arranged in the real three-dimensional space. The chemical bond ...

s similar to

alcohol Alcohol most commonly refers to: * Alcohol (chemistry), an organic compound in which a hydroxyl group is bound to a carbon atom * Alcohol (drug), an intoxicant found in alcoholic drinks Alcohol may also refer to: Chemicals * Ethanol, one of sev ...

s, except that

sulfur Sulfur (or sulphur in British English) is a chemical element with the symbol S and atomic number 16. It is abundant, multivalent and nonmetallic. Under normal conditions, sulfur atoms form cyclic octatomic molecules with a chemical formul ...

-containing

sulfhydryl group In organic chemistry, a thiol (; ), or thiol derivative, is any organosulfur compound of the form , where R represents an alkyl or other organic substituent. The functional group itself is referred to as either a thiol group or a sulfhydryl grou ...

(-SH) replaces the

oxygen Oxygen is the chemical element with the symbol O and atomic number 8. It is a member of the chalcogen group in the periodic table, a highly reactive nonmetal, and an oxidizing agent that readily forms oxides with most elements as we ...

-containing

hydroxyl group In chemistry, a hydroxy or hydroxyl group is a functional group with the chemical formula and composed of one oxygen atom covalently bonded to one hydrogen atom. In organic chemistry, alcohols and carboxylic acids contain one or more hydroxy ...

in the molecule. Propanethiol's basic molecular formula is C₃H₇SH, and its structural formula is similar to that of the alcohol ''n''-propanol. Propanethiol is manufactured commercially by the reaction of

propene Propylene, also known as propene, is an unsaturated organic compound with the chemical formula CH3CH=CH2. It has one double bond, and is the second simplest member of the alkene class of hydrocarbons. It is a colorless gas with a faint petrole ...

with

hydrogen sulfide Hydrogen sulfide is a chemical compound with the formula . It is a colorless chalcogen-hydride gas, and is poisonous, corrosive, and flammable, with trace amounts in ambient atmosphere having a characteristic foul odor of rotten eggs. The und ...

with

ultraviolet light Ultraviolet (UV) is a form of electromagnetic radiation with wavelength from 10 nm (with a corresponding frequency around 30 PHz) to 400 nm (750 THz), shorter than that of visible light, but longer than X-rays. UV radiati ...

initiation in an anti-

Markovnikov Markovnikov (russian: Марковников) is a Russian masculine surname, which originates from ''морковь'' (''carrot''); its feminine counterpart is Markovnikova. It may refer to *Vladimir Markovnikov (1837–1904), Russian chemist * Nik ...

addition.Rector P.Louthan, United States Patent 3,050,452, Aug. 21, 1962, Preparation of Organic Sulfur Compounds It can also be prepared by the reaction of sodium hydrosulfide with 1-chloropropane.

References

{{reflist, 30em Alkanethiols Foul-smelling chemicals Propyl compounds