gamma-Valerolactone is an organic compound

Organic compound

An organic compound is any member of a large class of gaseous, liquid, or solid chemical compounds whose molecules contain carbon. For historical reasons discussed below, a few types of carbon-containing compounds such as carbides, carbonates, simple oxides of carbon, and cyanides, as well as the...

 with the formula

Chemical formula

A chemical formula or molecular formula is a way of expressing information about the atoms that constitute a particular chemical compound....

 C₅H₈O₂. This clear liquid is one of the more common lactone

Lactone

In chemistry, a lactone is a cyclic ester which can be seen as the condensation product of an alcohol group -OH and a carboxylic acid group -COOH in the same molecule...

s. It is a structural isomer of delta-valerolactone

Delta-Valerolactone

delta-Valerolactone is a lactone used as a chemical intermediate in processes such as the production of polyesters....

. Because of its herbal odor, it is used in the perfume and flavor industries.

Potential applications

gamma-Valerolactone is a promising "green" liquid fuel. Levulinic acid

Levulinic acid

Levulinic acid, or 4-oxopentanoic acid, is an organic compound with the formula CH3CCH2CH2CO2H. It is a keto acid. This white crystalline is soluble in water, ethanol, and diethyl ether.-Synthesis and uses:...

, a derivative of glucose and other sugars, can be cyclized and the product hydrogenated

Hydrogenation

Hydrogenation, to treat with hydrogen, also a form of chemical reduction, is a chemical reaction between molecular hydrogen and another compound or element, usually in the presence of a catalyst. The process is commonly employed to reduce or saturate organic compounds. Hydrogenation typically...

to give gamma-valerolactone, and the product has potential applications as a liquid fuel.