The uses of 2-Pyrrolidinone

Chemical properties

2-Pyrrolidone is a colorless crystal at a temperature below 25 °C, yet it is a colorless to pale yellow transparent liquid above 25 °C. Its boiling point is 245 °C under atmospheric pressure. It is miscible with water and most organic solvents such as alcohol, ether, chloroform, benzene, ethyl acetate, and carbon disulfide, but it is hardly soluble in petroleum ether. It is an excellent organic solvent with high chemical stability and boiling point. In 2014, the global production output of 2-pyrrolidone exceeded 60,000 t a–1, including 25,000–30,000 t a–1 in the United States and 10,000 t a–1 in China. The major producers in the world are BASF (Germany) and Ashland (United States).

Uses

Application for production of N-vinylpyrrolidone and polyvinylpyrrolidone

The most crucial use of 2-pyrrolidone is as a raw material for the production of N-vinylpyrrolidone and polyvinylpyrrolidone, which currently accounts for about 90% of the total production of 2-pyrrolidone in the world.

Use as a solvent and extractant

2-Pyrrolidone is a high-boiling polar solvent that is miscible with water, alcohol, ether, ester, ketone, benzene, carbon tetrachloride, chloroform, carbon disulfide, and so on. It can also be used as a solvent to produce synthetic resin, pesticides, insecticides, polyols, and ink. Furthermore, it is also used as a solvent for the synthesis of vitamin B1, myleran, and the like. Moreover, 2-pyrrolidone can be used as an extractant to separate aromatic hydrocarbons.

Use as a pharmaceutical intermediate

2-Pyrrolidone is hydrolyzed under strong acid or strong base conditions to form aminobutyric acid, which can be used as a nutrient for the brain and nervous system and as a supplement to food. 2-Pyrrolidone reacts with sodium methoxide, then the resulting sodium salt of 2-pyrrolidone undergoes a condensation reaction with ethyl chloroacetate and an amination reaction with ammonia to obtain pyrrolidone acetamide, which is also a nervous system nutrition medicine that enhances brain memory and slows memory decline in the elderly people.