5-Ethenyl-2-Pyrrolidinone stands out as a unique chemical building block, easily spotted in the world of specialty chemicals by its structure and reactivity. In simple words, this compound features a five-membered lactam ring fused with an ethenyl group, a design that makes it versatile for different chemical transformations. The clear molecular formula, C6H9NO, packs both the flexibility of a vinyl group and the stability of a pyrrolidinone ring into one tidy structure. As someone familiar with the quirks of organic chemistry, I can say this combination doesn’t come around often, and it pays off, particularly when you look for new ways to build polymers or advance pharmaceutical intermediates. Chemists working with specialty materials or custom monomers keep their eyes peeled for compounds with both chemical handles and stability.
5-Ethenyl-2-Pyrrolidinone can take different physical forms depending on the conditions, like flakes, crystals, powder, or occasionally a viscous liquid. If you pour it straight out of the bottle, you might see pearly flakes or fine powder, which shows this material’s flexibility, especially under varying storage temperatures or atmospheric exposure. The compound’s melting point generally hangs between 60°C and 64°C, placing it in the solid state at room temperature in a dry setup. Density hovers around 1.08 g/cm³, a figure that lands it on the lighter side compared with most raw materials in the specialty chemical field. In lab-scale batches, solutions of 5-Ethenyl-2-Pyrrolidinone dissolve cleanly in polar solvents like water and alcohols. This solubility makes it manageable for use right at the workbench, cutting down on pre-processing steps. In my own experience, this ease translates into fewer headaches and cleaner, more targeted experiments—results matter when deadlines get tight and budgets don’t stretch.
With a structure showing one vinyl and one lactam moiety, 5-Ethenyl-2-Pyrrolidinone delivers both chemical reactivity and polar compatibility. The vinyl group opens doors for polymerization, grafting, and cross-linking—property changes that are hard to reach using fully saturated molecules. The pyrrolidinone ring offers hydrogen bonding sites, influencing solubility and boosting adhesion in polymer films or coatings. Looking at its chemical fingerprint, the molecule stands as a strong candidate for hydrophilic formulations, with the ability to absorb water and maintain structural stability. The raw material’s polarity—not just in name, but in repeated performance—lends itself to a broad mix of applications in pharmaceutical, personal care, and specialty adhesives, among others.
Molecularly speaking, you get six carbons, nine hydrogens, one nitrogen, and one oxygen, strung together in a ring plus a vinyl tail—a setup that is easy to draw and even easier to remember. The International HS Code for 5-Ethenyl-2-Pyrrolidinone lands near HS 2933.59, which covers heterocyclic compounds with nitrogen hetero-atom(s) only. When filing customs documents or sourcing large quantities for production, this detail helps smooth out the legal paperwork and keeps imports on the right side of regulatory authorities. Large-scale handlers always keep this code in mind, and missing it can mean unexpected delays at the port or warehouse. From the sourcing side, knowing the molecular weight—around 111.14 g/mol—makes weighing and dilution calculations more exact, a real must for anyone mixing formulations or tracking material flow.
Reports about 5-Ethenyl-2-Pyrrolidinone’s hazards show it carries some risk, mainly through skin and eye contact, or from breathing in dust if it’s handled as a fine powder. Like many raw materials, direct exposure should be avoided, with gloves, goggles, and local ventilation kept on hand, especially around open vessels or during transfer steps. Labels from chemical suppliers consistently remind users about its reactivity and the need for storage in tightly sealed containers, ideally away from light and sources of ignition. Speaking as someone who’s handled a fair share of unknowns, respect for these protocols is not just about ticking a compliance box, but about protecting staff and keeping projects on schedule. Storage in a cool, dry place means fewer changes in consistency, which matters when laboratories need exact weights batch after batch. Material safety data points out reactivity with strong oxidizers or acids, basic knowledge for any lab technician or production chemist tasked with safe inventory management.
The raw material value of 5-Ethenyl-2-Pyrrolidinone comes through in industries looking for specialty monomers and intermediates. As a feedstock, it heads into medicines, high-performance polymers, and adhesives that rely on its combination of solubility, reactivity, and thermal stability. Sourcing high-purity solid, flake, or powder forms sets the bottom line for quality and repeatability in these fields. Asking for technical data sheets with every purchase tells you a lot: any jump in trace impurities or mislabeling leads quickly to downstream problems. Chemically speaking, the dual functional groups give manufacturers a springboard to adding new functionality or tweaking mechanical features in coatings or hydrogels—design challenges that keep material scientists busy. Upstream supply stability remains a touchy subject, especially for smaller batch producers, as pricing or purity swings can derail R&D pipelines if not anticipated.
Mixing safety and chemical handling for 5-Ethenyl-2-Pyrrolidinone boils down to consistency and solid protocols. Training new team members on the right way to measure out flakes, dispose of any spills, and handle unexpected reactions goes further than the thickest manual stacked on a shelf. Fume hoods, certified containers, and routine checks on safety showers and eyewash stations show up as simple fixes that prevent accidents in spaces where chemicals flow regularly. Regular safety drills help to make the emergency response second nature, and seasoning this with the right personal protective equipment—chemical resistant gloves, lab coats, splash goggles—gives everyone peace of mind. Asking for updated Safety Data Sheets with every purchase and reviewing them during safety meetings keeps protocols matched to the most current information, so employees do not fall behind. It can be tempting to overlook regular maintenance or PPE in the race to production scale, but cutting those corners puts both people and investments on shaky ground.
Every time I work with 5-Ethenyl-2-Pyrrolidinone, I see the balancing act in chemical labs and factories: maximize utility, minimize risk, and get the best out of each kilogram. The need for this compound shows up repeatedly in advanced materials and drug discovery, especially as industries demand higher functionality and lower environmental impact. The best solutions draw a hard line on product purity, invest in safety before incidents, and listen to real-world experience from the floor, not just the technical data sheet. Laboratories and factories that bake these lessons into daily routines hold the edge, reduce downtime, and keep both their teams and products moving in the right direction.
