A colourless liquid with a fishy odor, it is soluble in water and many polar organic solvents.

Both are building blocks in the synthesis of heterocycles, such as those used in textile finishing, and coordination complexes.

It is prepared by the amination of acrylonitrile followed by hydrogenation of the resulting aminopropionitrile.

[1] The potassium salt was used in the alkyne zipper reaction.

1,3-Diaminopropane is toxic on skin exposure with an LD50 of 177 mg kg−1 (dermal, rabbit)