2-Mercaptoethanol
ALDRICH/M6250 - ≥99.0%
Synonym: β-Mercaptoethanol; 2-
CAS Number: 60-24-2
Empirical Formula (Hill Notation): C2H6OS
Molecular Weight: 78.13
EC Number: 200-464-6
MDL Number: MFCD00004890
Linear Formula: HSCH2CH2OH
Product Type: Chemical
| assay | ≥99.0% |
| bp | 157 °C (lit.) |
| concentration | 14.3 M (pure liquid) |
| density | 1.114 g/mL at 25 °C (lit.) |
| expl. lim. | 18 % |
| form | liquid |
| InChI | 1S/C2H6OS/c3-1-2-4/h3-4H, |
| InChI key | DGVVWUTYPXICAM-UHFFFAOYSA |
| pH | 4.5-6 (20 °C, 500 g/L) |
| Quality Level | 200 ![]() |
| refractive index | n |
| SMILES string | OCCS |
| storage temp. | 2-8°C |
| vapor density | 2.69 (vs air) |
| vapor pressure | 1 mmHg ( 20 °C) |
| Application: | 2-mercaptoethanol is widely used for retarding oxidation of biological compounds in solution. |
| Application: | BME is suitable for reducing protein disulfide bonds prior to polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and is usually included in a sample buffer for SDS-PAGE at a concentration of 5%. Cleaving intermolecular (between subunits) disulfide bonds allows the subunits of a protein to separate independently on SDS-PAGE. Cleaving intramolecular (within subunit) disulfide bonds allows the subunits to become completely denatured so that each peptide migrates according to its chain length with no influence due to secondary structure. |
| General description: | 2-mercaptoethanol is a thiol compound, commonly used as a reducing agent in organic reactions. |
| Packaging: | 1, 2.5 L in glass bottle |
| Packaging: | 10, 100, 250, 500 mL in glass bottle |
| Symbol | ![]() ![]() ![]() GHS05,GHS06,GHS08,GHS09 |
| Signal word | Danger |
| Hazard statements | H301 + H331 - H310 - H315 - H317 - H318 - H361d - H373 - H410 |
| Precautionary statements | P273 - P280 - P301 + P310 - P302 + P352 + P310 - P304 + P340 + P311 - P305 + P351 + P338 |
| Hazard Codes | T,N |
| Risk Statements | 23/24/25-38-41-43-48/22-50/53 |
| Safety Statements | 26-36/37/39-45-60-61 |
| RIDADR | UN 2966 6.1 / PGII |
| WGK Germany | WGK 3 |
| Flash Point(F) | 165.2 °F - closed cup |
| Flash Point(C) | 74 °C - closed cup |
| Purity | ≥99.0% |
| bp | 157 °C (lit.) |
| Density | 1.114 g/mL at 25 °C (lit.) |
| Refractive Index | n |
| Storage Temp. | 2-8°C |
| UNSPSC | 12352100 |





