Ethanol vs Isopropyl alcohol: what is the difference?
Ethanol and isopropyl alcohol, or isopropanol, both disinfect, but only ethanol is a drink: the body turns isopropyl alcohol into acetone, not acetic acid.
One methyl group apart.
Sources and notes
- The sentence under the titlefrom sourceMoleculeFinder comparison notesThe pair's answer line.
- The two drawingscomputedMoleculeFinder rule (RDKit MCS)Drawn the same way round on the skeleton they share; the amber marks where the two differ.
- The captionfrom sourceMoleculeFinder curated
- What is highlightedfrom sourceMoleculeFinder curatedOne line under each drawing, written from the atoms the amber marks.
Side by side
| Ethanol | Isopropyl alcohol | |
|---|---|---|
| Molecular weightCalculated PubChem | 46.07 g/molC2H6O | 60.1 g/molC3H8O |
| Hydrogen-bond donorsCalculated PubChem | 1 | 1 |
| Where each turns upEditorial MoleculeFinder food and product lists |
Also on our soy sauce, fuel and flame and aerosol cans lists |
|
| FamilyEditorial MoleculeFinder curated | Alcohols | Alcohols |
| Everyday groupEditorial MoleculeFinder curated | Food & flavor | Everyday chemistry |
| Chemical groupsCalculated Found by rule (RDKit) | Alcohols | Alcohols |
| Hazard labelReported ECHA, EU CLP Regulation, Safe Work Australia, HSDB via PubChem; ECHA, EU CLP Regulation, Safe Work Australia via PubChem | Danger | Danger |
| The supplier-filed hazard label's signal word, not a statement about ordinary use. | ||
| Oral LD50Measured HSDB via PubChem | Not recorded | 4,797 mg/kgpure isopropyl alcohol, dog, oral |
| A single acute animal measure. It ranks nothing about human safety. | ||
Sources and notes
- Molecular weightcomputedPubChemComputed from the structure; the formula is under each weight.
- Hydrogen-bond donorscomputedPubChemThe hydrogens on nitrogen or oxygen that each molecule can lend to a hydrogen bond, counted from its structure.
- Where each turns upfrom sourceMoleculeFinder food and product listsEach amount is an editorial figure from our lists, not a measurement of any one product. Each mark is set by hand on the list, never inferred.
- Familyfrom sourceMoleculeFinder curated
- Everyday groupfrom sourceMoleculeFinder curated
- Chemical groupscomputedFound by rule (RDKit)Each group is found in the structure by a chemical pattern.
- Hazard labelfrom sourceECHA, EU CLP Regulation, Safe Work Australia, HSDB via PubChem; ECHA, EU CLP Regulation, Safe Work Australia via PubChem
- Oral LD50from sourceHSDB via PubChem
- ECHAfrom sourceAttributionSource: European Chemicals Agency, echa.europa.eu.
- EU CLP Regulationfrom sourceAttributionSource: EUR-Lex, Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008, © European Union.
- Safe Work Australiafrom sourceAttributionSource: Safe Work Australia, Hazardous Chemical Information System, © Commonwealth of Australia, CC BY 4.0.
- Identifiersfrom sourcePubChemPubChem CID 702 (Ethanol) and 3776 (Isopropyl alcohol).
In more detail
Isopropyl alcohol has one more carbon and branches, C3H8O against C2H6O, and the body oxidises it to acetone rather than to acetic acid, which is why swallowing it causes a very different and more dangerous picture than drinking ethanol. As a disinfectant, 70 percent solutions of either outperform higher concentrations, because some water is needed for the alcohol to get through a cell wall before it denatures the proteins inside. Isopropyl alcohol evaporates leaving less residue, which is why it is the one used on electronics. The reported oral LD50 for isopropyl alcohol is 4797 mg/kg in dogs.
Sources and notes
- The paragraphfrom sourceMoleculeFinder comparison notes
Questions
- What is the difference between Ethanol and Isopropyl alcohol?
- Ethanol and isopropyl alcohol, or isopropanol, both disinfect, but only ethanol is a drink: the body turns isopropyl alcohol into acetone, not acetic acid.
- Is Ethanol bigger than Isopropyl alcohol?
- Isopropyl alcohol is the heavier molecule, 60.1 g/mol against 46.07 g/mol for Ethanol. Ethanol is C2H6O and Isopropyl alcohol is C3H8O.
Sources and notes
- The answersfrom sourceMoleculeFinderThe first is the pair's answer line; the others are read off the table above.