2-Bromobutane is an isomer of
1-bromobutane. Both compounds share the molecular formula C
4H
9Br. 2-Bromobutane is also known as ''sec''-butyl bromide or methylethylbromomethane. Because it contains
bromine
Bromine is a chemical element; it has chemical symbol, symbol Br and atomic number 35. It is a volatile red-brown liquid at room temperature that evaporates readily to form a similarly coloured vapour. Its properties are intermediate between th ...
, a halogen, it is part of a larger class of compounds known as
alkyl halide
The haloalkanes (also known as halogenoalkanes or alkyl halides) are alkanes containing one or more halogen substituents of hydrogen atom. They are a subset of the general class of halocarbons, although the distinction is not often made. Haloalka ...
s. It is a colorless liquid with a pleasant odor. Because the carbon atom connected to the bromine is connected to two other carbons the molecule is referred to as a secondary alkyl halide. 2-Bromobutane is
chiral
Chirality () is a property of asymmetry important in several branches of science. The word ''chirality'' is derived from the Greek language, Greek (''kheir''), "hand", a familiar chiral object.
An object or a system is ''chiral'' if it is dist ...
and thus can be obtained as either of two
enantiomers
In chemistry, an enantiomer (Help:IPA/English, /ɪˈnænti.əmər, ɛ-, -oʊ-/ Help:Pronunciation respelling key, ''ih-NAN-tee-ə-mər''), also known as an optical isomer, antipode, or optical antipode, is one of a pair of molecular entities whi ...
designated as (''R'')-(−)-2-bromobutane and (''S'')-(+)-2-bromobutane.
2-Bromobutane is relatively stable, but is toxic and flammable. When treated with a strong base, it is prone to undergo an
E2 reaction, which is a bimolecular elimination reaction, resulting in (predominantly)
2-butene, an alkene (double bond). 2-Bromobutane is an irritant, and harmful if ingested. It can irritate and burn skin and eyes.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bromobutane, 2-
Bromoalkanes
Sec-Butyl compounds