
tert-Butyl methyl ether
Methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) is a flammable liquid with a distinctive, disagreeable odor. It is made from blending chemicals such as isobutylene and methanol, and has been used since the 1980s as an additive for unleaded gasolines to achieve more efficient burning.MTBE is also used to dissolve gallstones. Patients treated in this way have MTBE delivered directly to their gall bladders through special tubes that are surgically inserted. — Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR)
- IUPAC name
- 2-methoxy-2-methylpropane
- Molecular formula
- C5H12O
- Molecular weight
- 88.15 g/mol
- Exact mass
- 88.088815002 Da
- XLogP3
- 0.9
- Topological polar surface area
- 9.2 Ų
- Hydrogen-bond donors
- 0
- Hydrogen-bond acceptors
- 1
- Covalent units
- 1
- Defined stereocentres
- 0
Also known as
16 more reported names
External database identifiers
- ChEBI:CHEBI:27642
- ChEMBL:CHEMBL1452799
- EPA DTXSID:DTXSID3020833
- PubMed:34121485
- PubMed:29553459
- PubMed:24128854
- PubMed:22942756
- PubMed:22833177
- PubMed:22793027
- PubMed:22783624
- PubMed:22771234
- PubMed:22767285
- PubMed:22727754
- PubMed:22717036
- PubMed:22707826
Retrieved from NIH PubChem on 2026-08-31 by checksum-valid CAS matching. Chemical properties do not replace the regulatory decision on this page.