It is a carboxylic acid that is widely used to prepare lipophilic metal derivatives that are soluble in nonpolar organic solvents.
2-Ethylhexanoic acid is produced industrially from propylene, which is hydroformylated to give butyraldehyde.
Oxidation of this aldehyde gives the carboxylic acid.
These ethylhexanoate complexes are used in organic and industrial chemical synthesis.
[4] They function as catalysts in polymerizations as well as for oxidation reactions as "oil drying agents.