2methylbut1yl

2-methylbut-1-yl refers to a branched alkyl group with the chemical formula C5H11. It is a pentyl isomer, meaning it is one of several possible arrangements of five carbon atoms and eleven hydrogen atoms. The structure of the 2-methylbut-1-yl group consists of a four-carbon chain with a methyl group attached to the second carbon atom. The attachment point to another molecule is at the first carbon atom of this chain. This specific arrangement distinguishes it from other pentyl isomers like the n-pentyl, isopentyl, sec-pentyl, and tert-pentyl groups.

The 2-methylbut-1-yl group is chiral, meaning it has a non-superimposable mirror image. This chirality arises because the second carbon atom is bonded to four different groups: a hydrogen atom, a methyl group, a CH2 group (which is part of the main chain), and a CH3 group (which is the attachment point). As a consequence, compounds containing the 2-methylbut-1-yl moiety can exist as a pair of enantiomers. These enantiomers will have identical physical properties except for their interaction with plane-polarized light, where they rotate it in opposite directions. The presence of this chiral center can influence the biological activity and physical properties of molecules into which it is incorporated.