What are the characteristics of nitroethanol

Sources：www.worldbrom.com | PublishDate：2025.09.17

Nitroethanol is an organic compound containing nitro (- NO ₂) and hydroxyl (- OH) groups (molecular formula C ₂ H ₅ NO3), which combines the characteristics of alcohols and nitro compounds. Its main features are as follows:
1. Active chemical properties: Hydroxyl groups in the molecule are prone to esterification and etherification reactions, while nitro groups enhance the polarity of the molecule, and the electron withdrawing effect of nitro groups can affect the activity of hydroxyl groups; Meanwhile, nitro groups can be converted into amino groups under specific conditions, such as reduction reactions, and are important structural units for the synthesis of intermediates such as pharmaceuticals and dyes.
2. Good solubility: Due to the presence of polar groups, it can be miscible with polar solvents such as water, ethanol, and ether, but is difficult to dissolve in non-polar solvents such as petroleum ether. This characteristic makes it easy to disperse as a solvent or reaction substrate in liquid-phase reactions.
3. It has certain stability and safety: it is a stable liquid (or crystal, depending on purity) at room temperature and pressure, and is not easily decomposed spontaneously. However, nitro compounds generally need to avoid high temperature, severe impact, or contact with strong reducing agents to prevent danger. When storing and using, it is necessary to follow the conventional protection requirements of organic nitro compounds.
4. Application bias towards chemical intermediates: It is less commonly used as an end product and is mainly used for synthesizing drugs (such as intermediates for certain antibacterial and antiviral drugs), pesticides (such as raw materials for herbicides and insecticides), or as a functional group introduction reagent in organic synthesis. With the synergistic effect of its hydroxyl and nitro groups, the target molecular structure is constructed.

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