cis-2-butene

chemical compound

Also known as: (Z)-2-butene

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July 23, 2026

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cis-2-butene is one of four isomeric compounds that make up butene, an olefinic hydrocarbon with the chemical formula C₄H₈. The other isomers are 1-butene, trans-2-butene, and isobutylene. All butenes are gases at room temperature and pressure.1

cis-2-butene is formed during the cracking of petroleum and can be produced commercially by the catalytic dehydrogenation of butanes. It is primarily used in the production of octanes, a key component of gasoline, through reactions with isobutane or by dimerization to form octenes, which are then hydrogenated to yield octanes. cis-2-butene can also be converted into secondary and tertiary butyl alcohols, used as commercial solvents, or dehydrogenated to form butadiene, a precursor to synthetic rubber. cis-2-butene has a boiling point of +3.7 °C.12

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isomerism
Cis and trans forms
They are traditionally called cis-2-butene and trans-2-butene or, in slightly more modern terms, (Z)- and (E)-2-butene. The Z and E stand for the German words for “together” (zusammen) and “apart” (entgegen). In principle, cis- and trans-2-butene are conformational isomers; in theory, they could be interconverted by a simple rotation…
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They are traditionally called cis-2-butene and trans-2-butene or, in slightly more modern terms, (Z)- and (E)-2-butene. The Z and E stand for the German words for “together” (zusammen) and “apart” (entgegen). In principle, cis- and trans-2-butene are conformational isomers; in theory, they could be interconverted by a simple rotation…
Read More