1-Phenyl-2-butanone

Pale yellow oily liquid

1-Phenyl-2-butanone was used in the preparation of 1-bromo-1-phenyl-2-butanone. It was used as solute to evaluate the hydroxyl group-solvent and carbonyl group-solvent specific interactions in acetonitrile/water mixtures using the alltima C₁₈ stationary phase by HPLC.

1-Phenyl-2-butanone is a building block that has been shown to have sedative activities in mice.

Tetrahedron Letters, 23, p. 4167, 1982 DOI: 10.1016/S0040-4039(00)88377-X

Purify the ketone by fractionation using an efficient column. It can be converted into the oxime which is distilled, b 117-118o/2mm, 145-146o/15mm, d 25 1.036, n D 1.5363; decompose the oxime, and the ketone is redistilled. It can also be purified via the semicarbazone which has m 154-155o. [Meyers et al. J Am Chem Soc 77 5655 1955, Hass et al. J Org Chem 15 8 1950, Beilstein 7 IV 712.]