Mononitrotoluene, or methylnitrobenzene or nitrotoluene (MNT or NT), is a group of 3 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...

s, a nitro

Nitro compound

Nitro compounds are organic compounds that contain one or more nitro functional groups . They are often highly explosive, especially when the compound contains more than one nitro group and is impure. The nitro group is one of the most common explosophores used globally...

 derivative of toluene

Toluene

Toluene, formerly known as toluol, is a clear, water-insoluble liquid with the typical smell of paint thinners. It is a mono-substituted benzene derivative, i.e., one in which a single hydrogen atom from the benzene molecule has been replaced by a univalent group, in this case CH3.It is an aromatic...

 (or alternatively a methyl derivative of nitrobenzene

Nitrobenzene

Nitrobenzene is an organic compound with the chemical formula C6H5NO2. It is a water-insoluble pale yellow oil with an almond-like odor. It freezes to give greenish-yellow crystals. It is produced on a large scale as a precursor to aniline. Although occasionally used as a flavoring or perfume...

). Its chemical formula

Chemical formula

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

 is C₆H₄(CH₃)(NO₂).

Mononitrotoluene comes in three isomer

Isomer

In chemistry, isomers are compounds with the same molecular formula but different structural formulas. Isomers do not necessarily share similar properties, unless they also have the same functional groups. There are many different classes of isomers, like stereoisomers, enantiomers, geometrical...

s, differing by the relative position of the methyl and nitro

Nitro compound

Nitro compounds are organic compounds that contain one or more nitro functional groups . They are often highly explosive, especially when the compound contains more than one nitro group and is impure. The nitro group is one of the most common explosophores used globally...

 groups:

• ortho-nitrotoluene (ONT), o-nitrotoluene, or 2-nitrotoluene, CAS number . It is a pale yellow liquid with a subtle, characteristic smell. It is non-hygroscopic and noncorrosive.

• meta-nitrotoluene (MNT), m-nitrotoluene, or 3-nitrotoluene, CAS number . It is a yellowish-greenish to yellow liquid with weak fragrance.

• para-nitrotoluene (PNT), p-nitrotoluene, or 4-nitrotoluene, CAS number . It is a pale yellow material forming rhombic
  Rhombus
  In Euclidean geometry, a rhombus or rhomb is a convex quadrilateral whose four sides all have the same length. The rhombus is often called a diamond, after the diamonds suit in playing cards, or a lozenge, though the latter sometimes refers specifically to a rhombus with a 45° angle.Every...
  
   crystals and has a somewhat pleasant, characteristic smell. It is almost insoluble in water.

Typical use of nitrotoluene is in production of pigment

Pigment

A pigment is a material that changes the color of reflected or transmitted light as the result of wavelength-selective absorption. This physical process differs from fluorescence, phosphorescence, and other forms of luminescence, in which a material emits light.Many materials selectively absorb...

s, antioxidant

Antioxidant

An antioxidant is a molecule capable of inhibiting the oxidation of other molecules. Oxidation is a chemical reaction that transfers electrons or hydrogen from a substance to an oxidizing agent. Oxidation reactions can produce free radicals. In turn, these radicals can start chain reactions. When...

s, agricultural chemicals, and photographic chemicals.

ortho-Mononitrotoluene and para-mononitrotoluene can be also used as detection taggants for explosive detection

Explosive detection

Explosive detection is a non-destructive inspection process to determine whether a container contains explosive material. Explosive detection is commonly used at airports, ports and for border control.-Dogs:...

.