Decalin
Chemical compound
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Decalin (decahydronaphthalene, also known as bicyclo[4.4.0]decane and sometimes decaline), a bicyclic organic compound, is an industrial solvent. A colorless liquid with an aromatic odor, it is used as a solvent for many resins or fuel additives.[6]
| Names | |
|---|---|
| Preferred IUPAC name
Decahydronaphthalene[1] | |
| Other names
Bicyclo[4.4.0]decane[1] | |
| Identifiers | |
3D model (JSmol) |
|
| 878165 | |
| ChEBI |
|
| ChEMBL | |
| ChemSpider | |
| ECHA InfoCard | 100.001.861 |
| EC Number |
|
| 185147 | |
PubChem CID |
|
| RTECS number |
|
| UNII | |
| UN number | 1147 |
CompTox Dashboard (EPA) |
|
| |
| |
| Properties[2] | |
| C10H18 | |
| Molar mass | 138.254 g·mol−1 |
| Appearance | colorless liquid |
| Odor | slight, resembling menthol |
| Density |
|
| Melting point |
|
| Boiling point |
|
| Insoluble | |
| Solubility in Ethanol |
|
| Solubility in Diethyl ether | Very soluble |
| Solubility in Acetone | Very soluble |
| Solubility in Chloroform | cis: Very soluble |
| Solubility in Benzene | trans: Miscible |
| Solubility in Methanol | trans: Soluble |
| log P | 4.79[3] |
| Vapor pressure | |
| |
Refractive index (nD) |
|
| Viscosity | 3 mPa·s (20 °C (68 °F; 293 K))[3] |
| Structure[5] | |
| |
| Hazards | |
| GHS labelling:[4] | |
| Danger | |
| H226, H304, H314, H331, H410 | |
| P210, P233, P240, P241, P242, P243, P261, P264, P271, P273, P280, P301+P310, P301+P330+P331, P303+P361+P353, P304+P340+P310, P305+P351+P338+P310, P363, P370+P378, P391, P403+P233, P403+P235, P405, P501 | |
| NFPA 704 (fire diamond) | |
| Flash point | 57 °C (135 °F; 330 K)[4] |
| 250 °C (482 °F; 523 K)[4] | |
| Explosive limits | 0.7%–4.9% (100 °F (38 °C; 311 K))[4] |
| Lethal dose or concentration (LD, LC): | |
LD50 (median dose) |
|
LC50 (median concentration) |
4.08 mg/L (inhalation, rat)[4] |
| Related compounds | |
Related compounds |
|
Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa).
| |
Isomers
Decalin occurs in cis and trans forms. The trans form is energetically more stable because of fewer steric effects. cis-Decalin is a chiral molecule without a chiral center; it has a two-fold rotational symmetry axis, but no reflective symmetry. However, the chirality is canceled through a chair-flipping process that turns the molecule into its mirror image.[citation needed]
- 1: trans (left) and cis (right) isomers
- 2:ball-and-stick model of cis-decalin
- 3:trans-decalin
- 4:cis-decalin ring-flip
Synthesis
Decalin is the saturated analog of naphthalene and can be prepared from it by hydrogenation in the presence of a catalyst. This interconversion has been considered in the context of hydrogen storage.[7]
Occurrence
Decalin itself is rare in nature but several decalin derivatives are known. They arise via terpene-derived precursors or polyketides.[8]
Reactions
Oxygenation of decalin gives the tertiary hydroperoxide, which rearranges via hydroxycyclodecanone to cyclodecenone, a precursor to sebacic acid.[9]

