2-Butanol

Butan-2-ol is manufactured industrially by the hydration of 1-butene or 2-butene: : Sulfuric acid is used as a catalyst for this conversion. In the laboratory it can be prepared via Grignard reaction by reacting ethylmagnesium bromide with acetaldehyde in dried diethyl ether or tetrahydrofuran. Although some butan-2-ol is used as a solute, it is mainly converted to butanone (methyl ethyl ketone, MEK), an important industrial solvent and found in many domestic cleaning agents and paint removers. Though most paint removers have ceased using MEK in their products due to health concerns and new laws. Volatile esters of butan-2-ol have pleasant aromas and are used in small amounts as perfumes or in artificial flavors. ==Solubility==

The listed solubility of butan-2-ol is often incorrect, including some of the most well-known references such as the Merck Index, the CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics, and ''Lange's Handbook of Chemistry''. Even the International Programme on Chemical Safety lists the wrong solubility. This widespread error originated because of Beilstein's Handbuch der Organischen Chemie (Handbook of Organic Chemistry). This work cites a false solubility of 12.5 g/100 g water. Many other sources used this solubility, which has snowballed into a widespread error in the industrial world. The correct data (35.0 g/100 g at 20 °C, 29 g/100 g at 25 °C, and 22 g/100 g at 30 °C) were first published in 1886 by Alexejew and then similar data was reported by other scientists including Dolgolenko and Dryer in 1907 and 1913, respectively. ==Precautions==

Like other butanols, butan-2-ol has low acute toxicity. The is 4400 mg/kg (rat, oral). Several explosions have been reported{{cite journal | author=Doyle, R. R. | title=2-Butanol safety warning ==References==