clear colorless to light yellow viscous liquid
(R)-(-)-2-amino-1-butanol can be used as a raw material for the preparation of emulsifiers, surfactants, resinifying agents, polishing waxes, vulcanization accelerators, and pharmaceuticals; it is also used as an acid gas absorbent to remove hydrogen sulfide and carbon dihydrogen sulfide. Derivatives of this product are widely used as various reagents and reaction aids. Its dextrorotatory isomer is used in the preparation of the anti-tuberculosis drug ethambutol; the d-isomer can also be used as a raw material for antibacterial agents and uterine hemostatic agents.
They are purified by shaking with solid NaOH, filtering and distilling through a short column. The oxalate of the racemate has m 176o. They are strong bases and should be stored under N2 in the absence of CO2. The enantiomers have [] 20 ±12.5o (c 2, EtOH). [Johnson & Degering J Org Chem 8 7 1943, Nagao et al. J Org Chem 51 2392 1986, Santaniello et al. J Chem Soc, Perkin Trans 1 919 1985, Beilstein 4 H 291, 4 IV 1705.]
