Bis(2-ethylhexyl) maleate is the chemical compound with the
structural formula , where the two
carboxylate groups are mutually cis. It can be described as the double
ester
In chemistry, an ester is a compound derived from an acid (either organic or inorganic) in which the hydrogen atom (H) of at least one acidic hydroxyl group () of that acid is replaced by an organyl group (R). These compounds contain a distin ...
of
maleic acid
Maleic acid or ''cis''-butenedioic acid is an organic compound that is a dicarboxylic acid, a molecule with two carboxyl groups. Its chemical formula is HO2CCH=CHCO2H. Maleic acid is the ''cis'' Cis–trans isomerism, isomer of butenedioic acid, ...
with the
alcohol
Alcohol may refer to:
Common uses
* Alcohol (chemistry), a class of compounds
* Ethanol, one of several alcohols, commonly known as alcohol in everyday life
** Alcohol (drug), intoxicant found in alcoholic beverages
** Alcoholic beverage, an alco ...
2-ethylhexanol. It is commonly called dioctyl maleate (DOM), reflecting the older usage of "octane" to refer to any 8-
carbon
Carbon () is a chemical element; it has chemical symbol, symbol C and atomic number 6. It is nonmetallic and tetravalence, tetravalent—meaning that its atoms are able to form up to four covalent bonds due to its valence shell exhibiting 4 ...
alkane
In organic chemistry, an alkane, or paraffin (a historical trivial name that also has other meanings), is an acyclic saturated hydrocarbon. In other words, an alkane consists of hydrogen and carbon atoms arranged in a tree structure in whi ...
, straight-chained or branched.
The compound is manufactured by treating 2-ethylhexanol with
maleic anhydride and an esterification catalyst. It is a key intermediate raw material in the production of
dioctyl sulfosuccinate (DOSS, docusate) salts, used medically as
laxatives and
stool softeners, and in many other applications as versatile
surfactant
Surfactants are chemical compounds that decrease the surface tension or interfacial tension between two liquids, a liquid and a gas, or a liquid and a solid. The word ''surfactant'' is a Blend word, blend of "surface-active agent",
coined in ...
s.
See also
*
Dibutyl maleate
*
Diethyl maleate
*
Dimethyl maleate
References
External links
Aerosol SurfactantsMSDSGeneral data and usesproduct data
Maleate esters
2-Ethylhexyl esters
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