Diisopropyl ether is secondary ether

Ether

Ethers are a class of organic compounds that contain an ether group — an oxygen atom connected to two alkyl or aryl groups — of general formula R–O–R'. A typical example is the solvent and anesthetic diethyl ether, commonly referred to simply as "ether"...

 that is used as a solvent

Solvent

A solvent is a liquid, solid, or gas that dissolves another solid, liquid, or gaseous solute, resulting in a solution that is soluble in a certain volume of solvent at a specified temperature...

. It is a colorless liquid that is slightly soluble in water, but miscible with most organic solvents. It is also used as an oxygenate

Oxygenate

Oxygenated chemical compounds contain oxygen as a part of their chemical structure. The term usually refers to oxygenated fuels. Oxygenates are usually employed as gasoline additives to reduce carbon monoxide that is created during the burning of the fuel....

 gasoline additive

Gasoline additive

Gasoline additives increase gasoline's octane rating or act as corrosion inhibitors or lubricants, thus allowing the use of higher compression ratios for greater efficiency and power, however some carry heavy environmental risks...

.

Diisopropyl ether is sometimes represented by the abbreviation "DIPE".

Safety

Diisopropyl ether tends to form explosive peroxides

Organic peroxide

Organic peroxides are organic compounds containing the peroxide functional group . If the R' is hydrogen, the compound is called an organic hydroperoxide. Peresters have general structure RCOOR. The O-O bond easily breaks and forms free radicals of the form RO·...

 upon standing in air for long periods (years). This reaction proceeds more easily than for ethyl ether, due to the secondary carbon next to the oxygen atom, which makes storage of diisopropyl ether more dangerous. The stored solvent should therefore be tested for the presence of peroxides more often (recommended once every 3 months for diisopropyl ether vs. once every 12 months for ethyl ether). For safety reasons, methyl tert-butyl ether

Methyl tert-butyl ether

Methyl tert-butyl ether, also known as methyl tertiary butyl ether and MTBE, is an organic compound with molecular formula 3COCH3. MTBE is a volatile, flammable, and colorless liquid that is immiscible with water. It has a minty odor vaguely reminiscent of diethyl ether, leading to unpleasant taste...

 is often used as an alternative solvent.

See also

• Dimethyl ether
  Dimethyl ether
  Dimethyl ether , also known as methoxymethane, is the organic compound with the formula . The simplest ether, it is a colourless gas that is a useful precursor to other organic compounds and an aerosol propellant. When combusted, DME produces minimal soot and CO, though HC and NOx formation is...
  
  
• Diethyl ether
  Diethyl ether
  Diethyl ether, also known as ethyl ether, simply ether, or ethoxyethane, is an organic compound in the ether class with the formula . It is a colorless, highly volatile flammable liquid with a characteristic odor...
  
  
• Di-tert-butyl ether
  Di-tert-butyl ether
  Di-tert-butyl ether is a tertiary ether that is used as a solvent....
  
  
• Methyl tert-butyl ether
  Methyl tert-butyl ether
  Methyl tert-butyl ether, also known as methyl tertiary butyl ether and MTBE, is an organic compound with molecular formula 3COCH3. MTBE is a volatile, flammable, and colorless liquid that is immiscible with water. It has a minty odor vaguely reminiscent of diethyl ether, leading to unpleasant taste...