Chemical Compounds

1,2-Dichloroethane (EDC) is produced in larger quantities than any other chlorinated organic compound. Over 95% is converted to vinyl chloride …

1,4-Dioxane is a cyclic ether used as a stabilizer in chlorinated solvents. It is a widespread groundwater contaminant and probable …

1-Butanol is a primary alcohol used as an industrial solvent and potential biofuel. It has a characteristic banana-like odor.

Isopropyl alcohol is a widely used solvent and disinfectant. It is the main ingredient in rubbing alcohol and many hand …

Acetaldehyde is a volatile organic compound and a metabolic intermediate in alcohol metabolism. It is responsible for many symptoms of …

Acetic anhydride is a versatile acetylating agent essential for producing aspirin, cellulose acetate, and heroin. It is a closely monitored …

Acetone is the simplest ketone and one of the most versatile solvents. It evaporates quickly and is used as nail …

Acetonitrile is a versatile polar aprotic solvent widely used in HPLC chromatography. A global shortage in 2008 disrupted pharmaceutical and …

Acrolein is the simplest unsaturated aldehyde and one of the most irritating compounds known. It is produced when fats are …

Acrylic acid is the simplest unsaturated carboxylic acid and a key monomer for acrylate polymers. It is used to make …

Acrylonitrile is a versatile monomer used to produce acrylic fibers, ABS plastics, and nitrile rubber. It is produced by the …

Aniline is the simplest aromatic amine and a key precursor for polyurethane production. It was historically important in the synthetic …

Benzaldehyde is the simplest aromatic aldehyde and the primary component of bitter almond oil. It is widely used in food …

Benzene is the simplest aromatic hydrocarbon, with a planar hexagonal ring of six carbon atoms. It is a fundamental building …

BADGE is the basic building block of most epoxy resins, formed from bisphenol A and epichlorohydrin. It is the world's …

Butyl acetate is a common industrial solvent with a fruity banana-like odor. It is widely used in lacquers, paints, and …

Butyraldehyde is an aldehyde with a pungent odor produced on a large scale by hydroformylation of propylene. It is a …

Butyric acid is a short-chain fatty acid with an intensely unpleasant rancid butter odor. It occurs naturally in butter and …

Carvone is a classic example of chirality affecting odor: (R)-carvone smells like spearmint while (S)-carvone smells like caraway. They are …

Chloroform is a dense, sweet-smelling solvent historically used as an anesthetic. It is now primarily used to produce HCFC-22 refrigerant.

Cinnamaldehyde is the compound that gives cinnamon its characteristic flavor and aroma. It constitutes 65-80% of cinnamon bark oil.

Citronellal is the primary component of citronella oil and gives it its characteristic lemony scent. It is the basis for …

Cumene is an aromatic hydrocarbon primarily used in the cumene process to produce phenol and acetone simultaneously. Over 13 million …

Cyanoacrylate is the active ingredient in super glue. It polymerizes rapidly on contact with moisture, bonding surfaces within seconds.

Cyclohexane is a cyclic saturated hydrocarbon that adopts a chair conformation to minimize ring strain. It is produced primarily by …

Cyclohexanone is a key industrial chemical and the principal precursor to caprolactam and adipic acid, which are used to make …

Dichloromethane (DCM) is one of the most widely used organic solvents in chemistry. It is dense, volatile, and dissolves a …

Diethylene glycol is an industrial solvent and antifreeze component. Its sweet taste has led to multiple mass poisoning events when …

Diethyl ether is a highly volatile and flammable liquid historically used as a general anesthetic. It is now primarily used …

Diethyl phthalate is one of the most commonly used plasticizers, making plastics more flexible. It is also used in cosmetics …

Diethyl sulfate is a powerful ethylating agent used in organic synthesis. It is more reactive and toxic than dimethyl sulfate.

DMAc is a powerful dipolar aprotic solvent used in the production of synthetic fibers and pharmaceutical manufacture.

Dimethyl carbonate is a green solvent and methylating agent promoted as a safer replacement for phosgene and dimethyl sulfate in …

DMF is a polar aprotic solvent that dissolves a wide variety of organic and inorganic compounds. It is one of …

DMSO is a powerful polar aprotic solvent that can penetrate biological membranes. It is used in cryopreservation, pharmaceutical compounding, and …

DMSO is a powerful solvent that can penetrate skin and carry dissolved substances into the bloodstream. It has a characteristic …

Epichlorohydrin is a versatile building block for epoxy resins, glycerol production, and water treatment chemicals. Over 2 million tonnes are …

Ethanol (drinking alcohol) is the alcohol in beverages, produced by fermentation. It is also a major biofuel and industrial solvent.

Ethyl acetate is a widely used organic solvent with a sweet, fruity odor. It is the most common ester in …

Ethylbenzene is produced in enormous quantities as an intermediate to styrene. Over 99% of ethylbenzene is dehydrogenated to make styrene …

Ethylene glycol is the primary ingredient in most automotive antifreeze. It has a sweet taste that makes it dangerous to …

2-Ethoxyethanol is a versatile solvent used in paints, varnishes, and cleaning solutions. It combines properties of both ethers and alcohols.

Eugenol is the main component of clove oil and has been used as a dental analgesic for centuries. It has …

Formamide is the simplest amide and a powerful solvent that can dissolve many inorganic salts. It is used in pharmaceutical …

Formic acid is the simplest carboxylic acid, naturally found in ant venom. It is used in textile dyeing, leather tanning, …

Furan is an oxygen-containing aromatic heterocycle that forms in food during high-temperature cooking. It is a precursor for important industrial …

Geraniol is a monoterpenoid and the primary component of rose oil and citronella oil. It is widely used in perfumery …

Glycerol is a sweet, viscous trihydric alcohol found in all fats and oils. It is a byproduct of soap and …

Hexane is a six-carbon straight-chain alkane that is one of the most commonly used nonpolar solvents. It is widely used …

Isoprene is the monomer of natural rubber and one of the most important hydrocarbons in biology. Trees emit over 500 …

Isopropanol (rubbing alcohol) is the most widely used disinfectant alcohol. A 70% solution is more effective at killing bacteria than …

Lactic acid is produced during anaerobic metabolism in muscles and by bacteria during fermentation. It gives yogurt and sauerkraut their …

Limonene is a cyclic terpene responsible for the citrus scent of orange and lemon peels. It is widely used as …

Linalool is a terpene alcohol found in over 200 plant species including lavender, basil, and cinnamon. It is one of …

Linoleic acid is an essential omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acid that humans must obtain from diet. It is abundant in vegetable …

Methanol (wood alcohol) is the simplest alcohol. It is toxic to humans — as little as 10 mL can cause …

Methyl benzoate is an ester with a pleasant aromatic odor reminiscent of fruits. It occurs naturally in many plants and …

Dichloromethane is one of the most versatile solvents in organic chemistry and industry. It is one of the few chlorinated …

MEK is a common industrial solvent used in lacquers, adhesives, and cleaning agents. It is also used in dewaxing lubricating …

Methyl isocyanate (MIC) is a highly reactive and toxic chemical used in pesticide manufacturing. It was the chemical released in …

Methyl methacrylate is the monomer used to produce polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), known commercially as Plexiglas, Lucite, or acrylic glass. It …

Methyl salicylate, or oil of wintergreen, is a naturally occurring ester with a distinctive minty-sweet scent. It is used in …

MTBE was widely used as a gasoline additive to increase octane rating and reduce emissions. Its use has been restricted …

Nicotine is the primary addictive compound in tobacco, acting on nicotinic acetylcholine receptors in the brain. It was used as …

Nitroglycerin is a powerful explosive liquid that is also a vasodilator medication for angina (chest pain). Alfred Nobel made it …

NMP is a powerful polar aprotic solvent used in petrochemical processing, electronics manufacturing, and pharmaceutical synthesis.

Octane is an eight-carbon alkane and a major component of gasoline. The 'octane rating' of fuel is based on isooctane's …

Oleic acid is the most abundant monounsaturated fatty acid in nature, making up 55-80% of olive oil. It is associated …

Perchloroethylene (perc) is the dominant solvent in the dry cleaning industry, used by about 85% of dry cleaners. It is …

Propionic acid is a naturally occurring carboxylic acid with a pungent odor. It is widely used as a food preservative …

Propylene glycol is a viscous, nearly odorless liquid used as a humectant in food, pharmaceutical excipient, and antifreeze. It is …

Propylene oxide is a small, strained-ring ether used to make polyether polyols, which are the backbone of polyurethane foams. About …

Pyridine is a basic heterocyclic aromatic compound with a characteristic unpleasant fishy odor. It is a fundamental building block in …

Pyrimidine is the parent compound of three of the five nucleobases in DNA and RNA (cytosine, thymine, uracil). It is …

Pyruvic acid is the end product of glycolysis and a central molecule in metabolism. It sits at the crossroads of …

Styrene is an important industrial monomer used to produce polystyrene, synthetic rubber, and ABS plastic. It is derived from ethylbenzene …

Carbon tetrachloride is a dense, colorless liquid that was once widely used as a dry cleaning solvent and fire extinguisher …

Tetrahydrofuran (THF) is a cyclic ether widely used as a laboratory and industrial solvent. It is the preferred solvent for …

TMS is the universal internal reference standard for NMR spectroscopy, defining the zero point on the chemical shift scale.

Thiophene is a sulfur-containing aromatic heterocycle first detected in benzene as a contaminant. It is used in pharmaceuticals and organic …

Toluene is a common aromatic solvent used in paints, thinners, and adhesives. It is also a major feedstock for producing …

TDI is one of the most important isocyanates used to make flexible polyurethane foam for mattresses, car seats, and upholstery.

TBTO was the most effective antifouling paint additive for ship hulls until it was banned by the IMO in 2008 …

Trichloroethylene (TCE) is a powerful degreasing solvent that has become one of the most common groundwater contaminants in the developed …

Triethylamine (TEA) is one of the most commonly used non-nucleophilic bases in organic synthesis. It has a strong, fishy ammonia-like …

Vinyl acetate is the monomer for polyvinyl acetate (PVA), the main component of white glue and latex paint. Over 6 …

Xylene is a mixture of three isomers (ortho-, meta-, and para-xylene) that is one of the top 30 chemicals produced …