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Isopropyl myristate belongs to a class of compounds called esters. Like other esters, it features a carbon atom double-bonded to an oxygen atom, which is called a carbonyl group, and another oxygen atom singly bonded to this carbonyl carbon. On the other side of the carbonyl carbon is a long saturated hydrocarbon chain containing 13 carbon atoms and 27 hydrogen atoms. The single-bonded oxygen next to the carbonyl group, by contrast, is attached to a much simpler isopropyl group, which has three carbons and four hydrogens.
Synthesis
Esters are formed by combining carboxylic acids with alcohols in the presence of an acid catalyst, and isopropyl myristate is no exception. To make this compound, chemists combine isopropanol -- the same rubbing alcohol you might have in your medicine cabinet -- with myristic acid, a fatty acid found in nutmeg butter among other sources. Although its structure resembles those of waxes, it doesn't technically qualify as a wax, because waxes have long chains of carbon atoms on both sides of the carbonyl group.
Properties
At room temperature, isopropyl myristate is a colorless liquid with a freezing point of -3 degrees Celsius and a boiling point of around 193 degrees Celsius. The long hydrocarbon chains are very nonpolar, which means there is no separation of charges. A useful rule of thumb in chemistry predicts that "like dissolves like," meaning that chemicals are good at dissolving other chemicals with similar polarity. Since the structure of isopropyl myristate makes it a very nonpolar molecule, it is virtually insoluble in water.
Other Considerations
The density of isopropyl myristate is only 85 percent of the density of water at room temperature. Consequently, if you mix isopropyl myristate and water, they would form separate layers with the isopropyl myristate on top. Just as with other esters, you can hydrolyze it or split it in two by adding strong acids or bases. The ensuing reaction is the reverse of the reaction by which isopropyl myristate is formed, and the resulting products are isopropanol and myristic acid.