Clear, colorless, flammable liquid with a disagreeable odor.
Polymerization inhibitor; organic synthesis.
cis-2-Pentene was used to study the adsorption of cis-2-pentene on clean and D2 preadsorbed Pd(111) surface.
A colorless liquid with a hydrocarbon odor. Usually found as a technical grade consisting of a mixture of isomers. Insoluble in water. Used as a solvent in organic synthesis and as a polymerization inhibitor.
Highly flammable. Insoluble in water.
The unsaturated aliphatic hydrocarbons, such as 2-PENTENE, are generally much more reactive than the alkanes. Strong oxidizers may react vigorously with them. Reducing agents can react exothermically to release gaseous hydrogen. In the presence of various catalysts (such as acids) or initiators, compounds in this class can undergo very exothermic addition polymerization reactions.
Schauer et al. (2001) measured organic compound emission rates for volatile organic
compounds, gas-phase semi-volatile organic compounds, and particle-phase organic compounds
from the residential (fireplace) combustion of pine, oak, and eucalyptus. The gas-phase emission
rate of cis-2-pentene was 10.4 mg/kg of pine burned. Emission rates of cis-2-pentene were not
measured during the combustion of oak and eucalyptus.
California Phase II reformulated gasoline contained cis-2-pentene at a concentration of 2.29
g/kg. Gas-phase tailpipe emission rates from gasoline-powered automobiles with and without
catalytic converters were 0.44 and 42.3 mg/km, respectively (Schauer et al., 2002).
Photolytic. The rate constant for the reaction of cis-2-pentene and OH radicals in the
atmosphere at 300 K is 3.9 x 10-13 cm3/molecule?sec (Hendry and Kenley, 1979). Atkinson (1990)
reported a rate constant of 6.50 x 10-11 cm3/molecule?sec for the same reaction.
Chemical/Physical. Complete combustion in air yields carbon dioxide and water.
Dry it with sodium wire and fractionally distil it, or purify it by azeotropic distillation with MeOH, followed by washing out the MeOH with water, drying and distilling. Also purify it by chromatography through silica gel and alumina [Klassen & Ross J Phys Chem 91 3668 1987]. [Beilstein 1 IV 814.]
