tert-Butyl alcohol is a colorless solid, which melts near room temperature and has a camphor-like odor.

Anhydrous tert-butyl alcohol is obtained by further refluxing and distilling from magnesium activated with iodine, or alkali metals such as sodium or potassium.

Other methods include the use of 4 Å molecular sieves, aluminium tert-butylate, calcium hydride (CaH2), or fractional crystallization under inert atmosphere.

[7] tert-Butyl alcohol is used as a solvent, ethanol denaturant, paint remover ingredient, and gasoline octane booster and oxygenate.

It readily abstracts acidic protons from substrates, but its steric bulk inhibits the group from participating in nucleophilic substitution, such as in a Williamson ether synthesis or an SN2 reaction.