What do the following smell like?

Question

- n-butanol

- tert-butanol

- propanol

thanks:D

Answer 1

They all smell unpleasant, and they're sort of hard to describe.  n-Butanol is the worst (I think); propanol is probably the least unpleasant.  

t-BuOH smells kind of "chemical"; it kind of reminds me of carbolic acid (phenol) mixed with rubbing alcohol (isopropanol), if you can imagine that.  

n-BuOH is a very strong smell, a bit rancid, a bit like candle wax.  (It's similar to butryic acid, which is one of the smelliest chemicals in rancid/spoiled butter.)

Propanol smells like rubbing alcohol mixed with a hint of cheddar cheese or something - something oily but not really "bad".

Bonus answer:  If you're trying to identify them, tert butanol is usually a solid at room temperature (m. p. around 25 degrees C).  The other two will both be liquid, and the one that stinks is n-BuOH.