2-Methylnaphthalene

{{Chembox

| ImageFile = 2-methylnaphthalene.svg

| ImageClass = skin-invert-image

| ImageSize = 200px

| PIN = 2-Methylnaphthalene

| OtherNames = β-methylnaphthalene

| Section1 = {{Chembox Identifiers

| CASNo = 91-57-6

| CASNo_Ref = {{cascite|correct|CAS}}

| UNII_Ref = {{fdacite|correct|FDA}}

| UNII = S8MCX3C16H

| PubChem = 7055

| SMILES = Cc1ccc2ccccc2c1

| ChemSpiderID = 6788

| InChI = 1/C11H10/c1-9-6-7-10-4-2-3-5-11(10)8-9/h2-8H,1H3

| InChIKey = QIMMUPPBPVKWKM-UHFFFAOYAY

| StdInChI = 1S/C11H10/c1-9-6-7-10-4-2-3-5-11(10)8-9/h2-8H,1H3

| StdInChIKey = QIMMUPPBPVKWKM-UHFFFAOYSA-N

}}

| Section2 = {{Chembox Properties

| C=11|H=10

| Appearance =

| Density =

| MeltingPt =

| BoilingPt =

| Solubility =

| MagSus = −102.6·10⁻⁶ cm³/mol

}}

| Section3 = {{Chembox Hazards

| MainHazards =

| FlashPt =

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2-Methylnaphthalene is a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH).

On February 22, 2014, NASA announced a greatly upgraded database{{cite web |last=Hoover |first=Rachel |title=Need to Track Organic Nano-Particles Across the Universe? NASA's Got an App for That |url=http://www.nasa.gov/ames/need-to-track-organic-nano-particles-across-the-universe-nasas-got-an-app-for-that/ |date=February 21, 2014 |work=NASA |access-date=February 22, 2014 }}{{cite web |author=Staff |title=PAH IR Spectral Database |url=http://www.astrochem.org/pahdb/ |date=October 29, 2013 |work=NASA |access-date=March 12, 2014 }} for detecting and monitoring PAHs, including 2-methylnaphthalene, in the universe. According to NASA scientists, over 20% of the carbon in the universe may be associated with PAHs, possible starting materials for the formation of life. PAHs seem to have been formed shortly after the Big Bang, are abundant in the universe,{{cite web |last=Carey |first=Bjorn |title=Life's Building Blocks 'Abundant in Space' |url=http://www.space.com/1686-life-building-blocks-abundant-space.html |date=October 18, 2005 |work=Space.com |access-date=March 3, 2014 }}{{cite journal |last1=Hudgins |first1=Douglas M. |last2=Bauschlicher Jr |first2=Charles W. |last3=Allamandola |first3=L. J. |title=Variations in the Peak Position of the 6.2 μm Interstellar Emission Feature: A Tracer of N in the Interstellar Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon Population |date=October 10, 2005 |journal=Astrophysical Journal |volume=632 |issue=1 |pages=316–332 |doi=10.1086/432495|doi-access=free |bibcode=2005ApJ...632..316H }}{{cite web|author=Allamandola, Louis |title=Cosmic Distribution of Chemical Complexity |url=http://amesteam.arc.nasa.gov/Research/cosmic.html |date=April 13, 2011 |work=NASA |access-date=March 3, 2014 |display-authors=etal |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140227184503/http://amesteam.arc.nasa.gov/Research/cosmic.html |archive-date=February 27, 2014 }} and are associated with new stars and exoplanets.

Several enzymes biodegrade 2-methyhlnaphthalene in anaerobic conditions.{{citation | last = Meckenstock | first = Rainer U. | author2 = Manfred Böhm |title = Anaerobic degradation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons | journal = FEMS Microbiology Ecology | year = 2004 | volume = 49| issue = 12 | pages = 27–36 | doi = 10.1016/j.femsec.2004.02.019 | doi-access = free | pmid = 19712381 | bibcode = 2004FEMME..49...27M }}{{citation | last = Annweiler | first = Eva | author2 = Arne Materna |title = Anaerobic Degradation of 2-Methylnaphthalene by a Sulfate-Reducing Enrichment Culture | journal = FEMS Microbiology Ecology | year = 2000 | volume = 66 | issue = 12 | pages = 5329–5333 | doi = 10.1128/AEM.66.12.5329-5333.2000 | pmid = 11097910 | pmc = 92464 | bibcode = 2000ApEnM..66.5329A }}