2,3-Epoxybutane is an organic compound with the formula CH3CH(O)CHCH3. It is an epoxide. The compound exists as three stereoisomers, a pair of enantiomers and the meso isomer. All are colorless liquids.
Preparation and reactions 2,3-Epoxybutane is prepared from 2-butene via the chlorohydrin:Heinz Gräfje, Wolfgang Körnig, Hans-Martin Weitz, Wolfgang Reiß, Guido Steffan, Herbert Diehl, Horst Bosche, Kurt Schneider and Heinz Kieczka "Butanediols, Butenediol, and Butynediol" in Ullmann's Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry, 2019, Wiley-VCH, Weinheim. CH3CH=CHCH3 + HOCl → CH3CH(OH)CH(Cl)CH3 CH3CH(OH)CH(Cl)CH3 → CH3CH(O)CHCH3 + HCl
A common reaction is its hydration to 2,3-butanediol. Many such ring-opening reactions have been reported.
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