isoprene or 2-methyl-1,3-butadiene (Īˈsəprēn, byōˌtədĪˈēn)
[key], colorless liquid organic compound. It is a hydrocarbon,
and is insoluble in water but soluble in many organic solvents;
it boils at 34°C. The isoprene molecule contains two double
bonds. It is readily polymerized by the use of special
catalysts; large numbers of isoprene molecules join together to
form a single large, threadlike polyisoprene molecule. Isoprene
polymers also occur naturally. The natural rubber caoutchouc is
cis -1,4-polyisoprene, and trans -1,4-polyisoprene is present in
the natural rubbers balata and gutta-percha. (The cis and trans
polyisoprenes are structural isomers.) The Columbia Electronic
Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2012, Columbia University
Press. All rights reserved. More on isoprene from Fact Monster:
See more Encyclopedia articles on: Organic Chemistry