It is a colorless liquid with mildly basic properties and a pungent, noxious odor.

[1] A laboratory route involves condensation of ethyl acetoacetate, formaldehyde, and an ammonia source to give a bis(carboxy ester) of a 2,6-dimethyl-1,4-dihydropyridine, which, after hydrolysis, undergoes decarboxylation.

[2] 2,6-Lutidine has been evaluated for use as a food additive owing to its nutty aroma when present in solution at very low concentrations.

In a similar implementation, 2,6-lutidine is thus sometimes used in organic synthesis as a sterically hindered mild base.

It takes part in the formation of silyl ethers as shown in multiple studies.