Amyl alcohol
Amyl alcohols are alcohols with the formula C5H11OH. Eight are known. A mixture of amyl alcohols can be obtained from fusel alcohol. Amyl alcohol is used as a solvent and in esterification, by which is produced amyl acetate and other products. The name amyl alcohol without further specification applies to the normal form, 1-pentanol.
Three of these alcohols, 2-methyl-1-butanol, 2-pentanol, and 3-methyl-2-butanol, contain stereocenters, and are therefore chiral and optically active.
The most important amyl alcohol is isoamyl alcohol, the chief one generated by fermentation in the production of alcoholic beverages and a constituent of fusel oil. The other amyl alcohols may be obtained synthetically.