2,6-Diisopropylaniline
2,6-Diisopropylaniline — often abbreviated Dipp or 2,6-DIPA in the ligand-chemistry literature — is a bulky, sterically hindered aniline built for jobs where a simple aniline is not bulky enough. It is the standard precursor to the IPr family of N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) ligands that underpin modern palladium and nickel cross-coupling catalysis, and it is the aromatic building block behind carbodiimide hydrolysis stabilisers used in polyester and polyurethane formulation.
Chelora Chemicals supplies 2,6-diisopropylaniline to catalysis and ligand-chemistry houses, polymer-stabiliser formulators and fine chemical manufacturers worldwide, in drums, IBCs and bulk quantities, with a batch COA and GHS safety data sheet on every consignment.
Product identity
- CAS Number
- 24544-04-5
- IUPAC name
- 2,6-Di(propan-2-yl)aniline
- Molecular formula
- C12H19N
- Molecular weight
- 177.29 g/mol
- EC / EINECS
- 246-305-4
- MDL number
- MFCD00008887
- SMILES
- CC(C)c1cccc(C(C)C)c1N
- HS Code
- 2921 49*
* Confirm the exact HS heading with your customs broker — classification of substituted aniline derivatives varies between destination tariffs.
What 2,6-Diisopropylaniline is used for
2,6-Diisopropylaniline places a bulky isopropyl group on both carbons flanking the amine nitrogen. That double ortho-substitution is the whole point of the molecule: it wraps a wedge of steric bulk directly around the nitrogen atom, which is exactly the property that a catalysis chemist or a stabiliser formulator wants when the nitrogen ends up bonded to a metal centre or locked inside a carbodiimide.
Unlike the lighter, single-substituted anilines used in dye and agrochemical work, this molecule is a specialty, high-value intermediate: its principal market is the synthesis of sterically demanding N-heterocyclic carbene ligands for homogeneous catalysis, with carbodiimide-based polymer stabilisers as its other significant outlet.
Why the steric bulk matters
Compare this molecule with a conventional, unhindered aniline:
- Two ortho-isopropyl groups — a bulk profile large enough to shield a metal centre or a reactive core, but also large enough to slow down simple electrophilic reactions such as direct diazotisation that work cleanly on unhindered anilines.
- A liquid, not a solid, at room temperature — the bulky substituents disrupt the crystal packing that gives simple chloro- or nitroanilines their melting points well above ambient. This product is a free-flowing liquid with a melting point around −45 °C.
- A stronger case for a dedicated grade — because the value of the downstream ligand or stabiliser depends on the amine's purity and freedom from isomeric contamination, buyers in this space typically specify tighter limits than a general-purpose aniline user would.
If your enquiry is for a related hindered or alkylated aniline — 2,6-diethylaniline, 2-ethyl-6-methylaniline or a diethyl-N-alkylated grade — quote us the CAS number and we will confirm the correct material before the order is placed. See our full aniline intermediate range.
Appearance and handling character
2,6-Diisopropylaniline ships as a colourless to pale yellow, free-flowing liquid. Like other primary aromatic amines it darkens on exposure to air and light, drifting toward amber and then brown — cosmetic in most reaction uses, but worth controlling with a colour ceiling if your ligand or stabiliser synthesis is colour-sensitive. It is a combustible liquid with a flash point in the region of 117 °C, so ignition-source control belongs in your handling plan alongside the moisture control that both downstream routes demand.
| Parameter | Typical value |
|---|---|
| Appearance | Colourless to pale yellow clear liquid |
| Assay (GC) | 98.0% min |
| Moisture (KF) | 0.2% max |
| Colour (APHA) | Ceiling agreed against your spec |
| Total related-amine impurities | 1.0% max |
| Non-volatile residue | Reported per batch |
Important: the figures above are indicative of commercial grade material and are offered for planning only. The batch certificate of analysis is the governing document. Ligand-grade orders typically ask for a tighter assay, lower moisture and a controlled colour — send us the specification and we will quote against it rather than against a generic grade.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Physical state | Liquid at ambient |
| Melting point | ≈ −45 °C |
| Boiling point | ≈ 254 – 257 °C @ 760 mmHg |
| Flash point | ≈ 117 °C |
| Relative density | ≈ 0.94 |
| Refractive index (n20/D) | ≈ 1.532 |
| Vapour pressure | < 0.01 mmHg (20 °C) |
| Water solubility | Slightly miscible; miscible with ether and alcohols |
| Odour | Faint, amine-like |
Physical constants compiled from public reference data for CAS 24544-04-5 and rounded for readability. Treat them as orientation, not as a specification.
Where our customers put this molecule to work
This is a specialty intermediate rather than a commodity aniline. Its volume is concentrated in catalysis, polymer stabilisation and fine synthesis, where steric bulk at nitrogen is the feature being bought.
NHC ligand precursor (Dipp / IPr)
The standard route into 1,3-bis(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)imidazol-2-ylidene (IPr) and the wider family of bulky N-heterocyclic carbene ligands that dominate Pd- and Ni-catalysed cross-coupling, C–N bond formation and related homogeneous catalysis.
- Bis-imine condensation with glyoxal
- Ring closure to the imidazolium salt
- See our catalysis intermediate range
Carbodiimide hydrolysis stabilisers
Phosgenated to 2,6-diisopropylphenyl isocyanate and carried through to a mono- or poly-carbodiimide, this aniline is the aromatic core of stabiliser packages that protect polyester and polyurethane elastomers from hydrolytic breakdown in humid or marine service.
- Isocyanate route to carbodiimide chemistry
- Moisture is the critical process parameter
- Used across footwear, automotive and industrial PU
Synthetic resins & antioxidants
The bulky aniline fragment lends steric protection to hindered antioxidant and resin-stabiliser structures in the same way it protects a carbene or a carbodiimide — a useful building block wherever a formulation needs a sterically shielded nitrogen.
- Hindered-amine stabiliser chemistry
- Speciality resin additive intermediates
- Custom quantities on request
Pharmaceutical & API intermediates
A sterically hindered aryl amine building block for amide, urea and N-arylation chemistry where the bulk around nitrogen is needed to control regioselectivity or to protect a downstream reactive centre.
- Amide and urea formation
- N-arylation and ring construction
- See also our fluoroaniline range
Schiff-base & coordination ligand chemistry
Condensation with aldehydes and diketones builds multitopic Schiff-base ligands used across academic and industrial coordination chemistry and catalyst-design programmes — the same steric shielding that makes IPr valuable applies here too.
- Imine and Schiff-base condensation
- Metal-ligand and organocatalyst research
- Available in trial and laboratory quantities
Fine synthesis & contract quantities
Ligand-chemistry and catalysis groups typically qualify a new amine on a small scale before scaling up. We supply from laboratory grams through pilot drums so your programme can move from bench to process without re-sourcing.
- Laboratory samples through pilot-scale drums
- Consistent lot-to-lot quality for scale-up work
- Technical desk support on grade selection
How we supply 2,6-Diisopropylaniline
Chelora Chemicals is a supplier and sourcing partner, not a manufacturer. We own no alkylation plant — and for a specialty amine like this one, that independence works in your favour. We are never obliged to push you whatever a captive unit happens to be running that month.
Instead we place your order with whichever qualified producer best matches your assay, your moisture limit, your colour ceiling and your delivery window.
We keep a second qualified source on this line. Because this is a more specialised alkylation than a commodity aniline, security of supply matters more, not less, and a second source means your ligand-synthesis or stabiliser programme is never held hostage to a single plant's schedule.
- Specification read against the CAS first. We confirm you need 24544-04-5 and not a related diethyl- or ethyl-methyl-substituted aniline before we quote a price.
- Batch COA including moisture, shared before dispatch. Moisture is the parameter that decides whether your isocyanate or carbene-synthesis step runs clean — you approve it against your own spec while the material is still in our warehouse.
- Colour ceiling agreed up front. For catalysis-grade orders, a light-coloured feed is often part of the customer's own release criteria — we set the ceiling before quoting, not after a batch is rejected.
- Pre-shipment samples for qualification. Ligand and stabiliser chemists typically want to run a lab batch on a new lot before committing process volume — we build that step into the order as standard.
- Packing chosen to limit air and moisture ingress. As a liquid amine, nitrogen-blanketed drums or sealed IBCs are available for premium, moisture-critical grades.
- Combustible-liquid export machinery handled in-house. Class 3 classification, UN-approved packaging, labelling, freight booking and customs paperwork are ours to manage.
- Consolidation onto one bill of lading. Ship this aniline alongside other intermediates from our range — one invoice, one shipment, one counterparty.
Packed the way your plant or lab receives it
As a liquid, this product moves in drums, totes or bulk rather than bags — and moisture and air ingress matter more than for a solid aniline. Tell us how it will be charged at your end and we will quote the format that suits your operation.
Mild-steel & lined drums
UN-certified drums, nitrogen-blanketed on request, for standard commercial shipments and for grades where colour and moisture are being controlled to a tight limit.
IBC totes
Stackable, forklift-handled totes for mid-volume buyers running continuous or semi-continuous isocyanate or ligand-synthesis campaigns.
Bulk liquid shipment
For committed-volume contracts, bulk movement by ISO tank container or flexitank reduces packing cost and handling significantly against drummed material.
Samples & laboratory packs
Sealed, inert-gas-purged bottles and small cans dispatched by courier so your ligand or stabiliser chemistry team can qualify the grade before committing to volume.
Incoterms to suit you
Quoted on the Incoterm your purchasing team works to. Ocean, air and road freight arranged end-to-end with documentation filed before booking.
Campaign despatch
Catalysis and stabiliser production runs to process campaign. We hold contracted volume and release it against your schedule instead of landing it all at once.
Handle this as a combustible, aquatic-hazard liquid amine
2,6-Diisopropylaniline does not carry the carcinogenicity classification seen on some simpler chloroanilines, but it is still a primary aromatic amine, a combustible liquid, and classified as harmful to aquatic life with long-lasting effects. The summary below is orientation only — the safety data sheet supplied with your consignment is the authoritative document and should govern your risk assessment, PPE selection and emergency planning.
Classified hazards
H412Harmful to aquatic life with long lasting effects.
The harmonised classification commonly published for CAS 24544-04-5 carries H412 as its headline entry. As with any primary aromatic amine, general good practice still applies — avoid skin and eye contact, avoid breathing vapour or mist, and work in a ventilated area — even where a specific acute-toxicity or irritation classification is not formally listed. Supplier classifications can differ in detail; always read the SDS issued with your specific batch and treat it as the authoritative source for your risk assessment.
Fire & spill orientation
Plan your response before the drum is opened, not after a leak. The points below are orientation for your emergency planners — sections 4, 5 and 6 of the SDS are the authoritative instructions and should be posted at the point of use.
- Combustible liquid — control ignition sources. With a flash point around 117 °C the material is not highly flammable at ambient conditions, but bonding and grounding still matter during transfer and drumming.
- Contain, do not hose to drain. H412 applies — collect spilled liquid with inert absorbent into a labelled container; never let it reach a drain or watercourse.
- Assume skin absorption. Contaminated clothing is a continuing exposure route for any primary aromatic amine — remove it immediately and wash the skin thoroughly.
- Extinguish with dry chemical, foam or CO₂. Water spray can be used to cool exposed containers, but avoid a straight stream that could spread a burning liquid.
- Record the exposure. Even without a carcinogen classification, most EHS programmes expect an exposure record for any primary aromatic amine incident.
Storage
- Cool store, ideally below 15 °C, away from direct sunlight and ignition sources. Cooler storage slows the oxidative colour drift common to primary aromatic amines.
- Keep containers tightly closed and, where practical, blanketed with nitrogen. Air and light drive colour development, and moisture pick-up directly affects both the carbene-synthesis and isocyanate routes.
- Segregate from oxidising agents, strong acids, acid chlorides and isocyanates unless the reaction is intentional. As a primary aromatic amine it reacts readily and exothermically with acylating and oxidising reagents.
- Bunded floor, away from heat sources. Standard combustible-liquid storage practice applies given the flash point.
- Shelf life is typically 12–24 months in sealed original packing under these conditions. Re-assay before use after long storage, particularly for moisture-critical applications.
Handling & PPE
- Closed transfer where practical. Pumped or closed-line transfer keeps both operator exposure and moisture/oxygen pick-up to a minimum — good practice for a moisture-sensitive feedstock as well as a safety measure.
- Chemical-resistant gloves and eye protection for routine handling; skin protection matters for any primary aromatic amine even where a specific irritation classification is not listed.
- Local exhaust ventilation where the liquid is being transferred, sampled or heated, to keep vapour and mist exposure low.
- Anti-static precautions during drumming and transfer, consistent with handling any combustible organic liquid.
- Never discharge to drain or watercourse. H412 applies — collect any waste or rinse liquid and dispose of it as regulated chemical waste.
Transport
This product typically moves as a combustible or flammable liquid under the applicable transport regulations. We classify each consignment, apply UN-approved packaging and labelling, and file the dangerous-goods declaration before the booking is made. The applicable UN number, class and packing group are stated on your shipping documents and SDS — ask us for the current DG paperwork when you plan the shipment.
What travels with every consignment
A chemical shipment is only as good as the file that travels with it. Verifying what the source plant sends is precisely the work you are buying from a supplier.
Certificate of Analysis
Batch-specific assay by GC, moisture by Karl Fischer, appearance, colour and related-amine impurity profile — checked against your purchase specification before we release the goods.
GHS Safety Data Sheet
Full 16-section SDS in GHS format covering hazards, exposure controls, handling, storage, spill response, toxicology and disposal — issued in the language your destination requires.
Dangerous Goods Declaration
UN number, hazard class, packing group and IMDG or IATA declaration prepared and filed before the container is booked, with correctly marked and labelled packaging.
Certificate of Origin
Chamber-attested where required, plus preferential-origin forms where a trade agreement gives your import duty relief at the destination.
Third-party inspection
SGS, Intertek or Bureau Veritas sampling and inspection arranged on request before loading, giving you independent verification of what actually ships.
Retained & pre-shipment samples
Pre-shipment samples carry the same COA as the commercial lot, so what your laboratory qualifies is exactly what arrives. Retention samples held against the batch.
The two routes out of this aniline
Almost everything made from this molecule leaves by one of two doors: condensation toward an imidazolium carbene salt, or phosgenation toward an isocyanate and carbodiimide. The routes below are the general industrial and academic pattern, not a process disclosure.
Start with the hindered aniline
2,6-Diisopropylaniline provides a primary aromatic amine wrapped in steric bulk from the two ortho-isopropyl groups — the feature every downstream route is built to exploit.
Door one — condense to the carbene
Reaction with glyoxal gives a bis-imine; ring closure and deprotonation deliver the imidazol-2-ylidene carbene (IPr) used as an NHC ligand in metal catalysis.
Door two — phosgenate
Conversion to 2,6-diisopropylphenyl isocyanate opens the route to ureas and, via controlled decarboxylative coupling, to carbodiimide-based hydrolysis stabilisers.
Finish to grade
The crude amine is distilled and standardised to whatever the end market demands — ligand-grade purity and colour, or technical grade for stabiliser and resin chemistry.
Why amine quality carries through the whole route
Both doors act on the nitrogen and depend on the steric environment around it staying intact and uncontaminated. Anything in the feed that competes for that nitrogen, or that carries residual moisture, follows the material down the line:
- Related, less-hindered anilines condense or phosgenate in parallel and give ligands or carbodiimides with a smaller, less protective steric profile — undermining exactly the property the end user is paying for.
- Residual water is tolerable in some condensation steps but destroys phosgene or acid chloride on the isocyanate route, wasting reagent and generating HCl in the batch.
- Oxidation products — the coloured species responsible for the amber-to-brown drift — can carry through into a coloured ligand or stabiliser, a real issue for catalysis users tracking catalyst purity by appearance.
- Heavy residues concentrate in the still bottoms and reduce the number of passes you get from a distillation train.
That chain of consequences is the reason we quote against your written specification rather than a generic "98% technical" grade, and the reason the batch COA is shared for approval before dispatch rather than sent with the invoice.
| Intermediate | Principal outlet |
|---|---|
| 2,6-Diisopropylaniline CAS 24544-04-5 — this product | IPr / NHC ligand chemistry Carbodiimide stabilisers Schiff-base ligands |
| 2,6-Diethylaniline CAS 579-66-8 | Alachlor, butachlor Chloroacetanilide herbicides |
| 2-Ethyl-6-methylaniline CAS 24549-06-2 | Metolachlor, acetochlor Chloroacetanilide herbicides |
If your route calls for one of the others, we supply those as well — see our full aniline intermediate range. Send the CAS number and we will confirm the correct material before quoting.
What actually moves the price of this intermediate
This is not a commodity aniline with a screen price. Knowing what drives the quote helps you time a purchase and read whether an offer is realistic.
Catalysis-driven demand
Demand tracks the growth of NHC-ligand chemistry in pharmaceutical and agrochemical process development — a smaller, more specialised market than commodity aniline demand, but one that has grown steadily as cross-coupling methods scale into manufacturing.
- Quote early for scale-up campaigns
- Ligand-grade material commands a premium over technical grade
- Contracted call-off smooths the exposure
Upstream feedstock
The route back to this amine runs through the alkylation of aniline with propylene, so propylene and aniline feedstock pricing feed through within a quarter or so, alongside the energy cost of the alkylation and distillation steps.
- Propylene and aniline set the floor
- Selectivity of the alkylation step affects yield and cost
- We flag feedstock-driven moves in the quote
Regulatory profile
This material does not carry the carcinogen classification of some simpler chloroanilines, which simplifies workplace compliance — but it is still a combustible liquid with an aquatic-hazard classification, so transport, storage and effluent handling rules still apply.
- Combustible-liquid transport rules apply
- Aquatic-hazard disposal rules apply
- We check destination rules before quoting
Pack format
Cost per kilo falls from small sealed bottles to drums to IBCs to bulk ISO tank or flexitank movement — bulk formats also cut the number of times a moisture-sensitive liquid is opened to air.
- Sample packs carry the highest cost per kilo
- Bulk liquid movement is cheapest at committed volume
- Nitrogen-blanketed drums protect quality in transit
Freight & DG surcharges
This moves as a combustible-liquid consignment, so ocean freight carries a hazardous surcharge. Destination and Incoterm move landed cost as much as the ex-works price does.
- Compare on landed cost, not ex-works
- DG space books out ahead of peak season
- We quote FOB, CIF, CFR or DDP as you prefer
Source availability
This is a more specialised alkylation than a commodity aniline, so fewer plants run it. A turnaround or a feedstock disruption at one producer is felt harder by single-sourced buyers than it would be for a widely produced intermediate.
- We hold a second qualified source on this line
- Qualify the alternate before you need it
- Ask us about dual-source contracts
| If your end use is… | Specify |
|---|---|
| NHC ligand synthesis | High assay (99%+), low moisture, controlled colour |
| Carbodiimide / isocyanate route | Technical grade; moisture the critical parameter |
| Antioxidant / resin intermediate | Technical grade sufficient for most programmes |
| Pharmaceutical chain | Tight related-amine limit; metals and residues reported |
| Schiff-base / coordination chemistry | High purity, anhydrous, inert-gas packed |
| Laboratory / R&D | Small pack, high purity, full analytical pack |
Not sure which column you are in? Describe the reaction you are running and our technical desk will recommend the grade — including telling you when a cheaper specification would do the job just as well.
Support that goes beyond shipping the drum
What our technical desk will do
- Match a grade to your reaction. Tell us whether you are heading for a carbene, a carbodiimide or a Schiff-base ligand and we will recommend the specification — and say so plainly when a tighter, costlier grade would add nothing.
- Be straight about the hazard profile. We state the aquatic-hazard and combustible-liquid classification at enquiry stage so your EHS team can plan controls before the first delivery.
- Advise on handling and storage for your site conditions — moisture and colour control both depend on how the drum is stored and how quickly it is turned over.
- Review your specification before it goes into a contract, so you are not locked into a limit that no plant can consistently hit.
Regulatory & compliance notes
- Combustible-liquid transport rules apply. Confirm the applicable UN number, class and packing group with your freight forwarder for your specific routing and mode.
- Import controls vary by destination. Some jurisdictions apply registration or notification requirements to specialty amines used in catalyst and stabiliser manufacture. We check the destination rules before quoting, not after you have raised the PO.
- Chemical inventory listings differ between regions. Confirm your obligations under the applicable inventory regime for your import volume — we will supply the identity data you need for that filing.
- Effluent and aquatic-discharge rules apply to any process waste containing this material, given its H412 classification.
None of the above is legal advice — your own regulatory affairs team owns the final compliance position for your import and your workplace. What we commit to is giving you accurate product identity data, an honest statement of the hazard classification and complete documentation to work from.
From enquiry to delivered drum
Send the specification
Product name or CAS 24544-04-5, the assay, moisture and colour limits you work to, quantity, pack preference and destination port.
Receive a firm quote
Pricing, lead time, packing and Incoterm confirmed in writing within 24 hours — our sourcing desk is staffed around the clock.
Qualify and approve
Sample dispatched if you are qualifying a new source. Batch COA shared for your approval before the material is released.
Ship and track
DG classification filed, freight booked, export documents issued, and the consignment tracked through transit and clearance to your plant or lab.
Often bought alongside this grade
Consolidate several intermediates onto one shipment and one invoice. These are the alkylated and hindered anilines our catalysis, polymer and fine chemical customers most often order in the same programme — visit the products catalogue for full specifications on each.
What buyers ask us about 2,6-Diisopropylaniline
Is this material classified as a carcinogen?
Why is this a liquid when other anilines you sell are solids?
What is this material actually used for?
What purity do you normally supply?
What is the minimum order quantity?
How long does delivery take?
Why does the liquid darken in storage?
How should we store it, and what is the shelf life?
Is this a dangerous good? What paperwork comes with it?
- Batch certificate of analysis
- GHS-format safety data sheet
- Dangerous-goods declaration with UN number, class and packing group
- Commercial invoice, packing list and bill of lading or airway bill
- Certificate of origin and any destination-specific forms
Do you supply to my country?
Do you manufacture this yourself?
Can you hold stock against a production plan?
Request pricing on 2,6-Diisopropylaniline
Send your required assay, moisture limit, colour ceiling, quantity, pack format and destination port. Our sourcing desk is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and comes back with pricing, lead time and packing options — whether that is a single trial sample or a contracted drum programme for the year.