| The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. 2001-07. |
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| isoprene |
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or 2-methyl-1,3-butadiene ( ´s pr n, by ´´td´n) (KEY) , colorless liquid organic compound. It is a hydrocarbon, and is insoluble in water but soluble in many organic solvents; it boils at 34°C. The isoprene molecule contains two double bonds. It is readily polymerized by the use of special catalysts; large numbers of isoprene molecules join together to form a single large, threadlike polyisoprene molecule. Isoprene polymers also occur naturally. The natural rubber caoutchouc is cis-1,4-polyisoprene, and trans-1,4-polyisoprene is present in the natural rubbers balata and gutta-percha. (The cis and trans polyisoprenes are structural isomers.) |
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| | | The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. Copyright © 2007 Columbia University Press. |
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