1,4-Butanediol

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{{{name|1,4-Butanediol}}}
Image:1,4-butanediol.png
Chemical name	1,4-Butanediol}}}
Chemical formula	C4H10O2}}}
Molecular mass	90.12}}} g/mol
CAS number	110-63-4}}}]
Density	1.010}}} g/cm3
Melting point	20}}} °C
Boiling point	230}}} °C
SMILES	OCCCCO}}}
Disclaimer and references

1,4-Butanediol is an alcohol derivative of the alkane butane, carrying two hydroxyl groups. It is a colorless viscous liquid. Its industrial synthesis starts with acetylene, which is reacted with two molecules of formaldehyde to form 1,4-butynediol, a process known as the Reppe synthesis. This product is subsequently hydrogenated to give 1,4-butanediol.

1,4-Butanediol is used industrially as a solvent and in the manufacture of some types of plastics and fibers. In organic chemistry, 1,4-butanediol is used for the synthesis of γ-butyrolactone (GBL). In the presence of phosphoric acid and high temperature, it dehydrates to the important solvent tetrahydrofuran. At about 200 °C in the presence of a soluble ruthenium catalyst, the diol loses H₂ and forms butyrolactone.

It is also used as an illicit drug known by recreational users as "One Comma Four" or "One Four Bee". It exerts the same effects as γ-hydroxybutyrate (GHB), which is a metabolic product of 1,4-butanediol. [1]

Reference

J. Zhao, J. F. Hartwig "Acceptorless, Neat, Ruthenium-Catalyzed Dehydrogenative Cyclization of Diols to Lactones" Organometallics 2005, volume 24, 2441-2446.de:1,4-Butandiol