Tert-Amyl alcohol

TAA is primarily made by the hydration of 2-methyl-2-butene in the presence of an acidic catalyst. ==Natural occurrence==

Fusel alcohols like TAA are grain fermentation byproducts, and therefore trace amounts of TAA are present in many alcoholic beverages. Traces of TAA have been detected in other foods, like fried bacon, cassava and rooibos tea. TAA is also present in rabbit milk and seems to play a role in pheromone-inducing suckling in the newborn rabbit. ==History==

From about the 1880s to the 1950s, TAA was used as an anesthetic with the contemporary name of amylene hydrate, but it was rarely used because more efficient drugs existed. TAA has emerged recently as a recreational drug. == Use and effects ==

Ingestion or inhalation of TAA causes euphoria, sedative, hypnotic, and anticonvulsant effects similar to ethanol. When ingested, the effects of TAA may begin in about 30 minutes and can last up to 1–2 days. 2–4 grams of TAA is sufficient to produce a hypnotic effect. About 100 g of ethanol induces a similar level of sedation. == Overdose and toxicity ==

The smallest known dose of TAA that has killed a person is 30 mL. and death may follow from an overdose. The oral in rats is 1 g/kg. The subcutaneous LD50 in mice is 2.1 g/kg. == Metabolism ==

In rats, TAA is primarily metabolized via glucuronidation, as well as by oxidation to 2-methyl-2,3-butanediol. It is likely that the same path is followed in humans, though older sources suggest TAA is excreted unchanged. The use of TAA cannot be detected with general ethanol tests or other ordinary drug tests. Its use can be detected from a blood or a urine sample by using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry for up to 48 hours after consumption. == See also ==