Nitroethane a organic compound which is a oily liquid at normal temperature and pressure also similar in many ways to nitromethane. Used as a fuel additive and a precursor for explosives. In more common consumer products it is used as a component in artificial nail remover and ceiling sealant sprays. In it’s pure form it is colorless with a fruity odor.

The chemical formula of nitroethane is C₂H₅NO₂. Producing the compound is done industrially by treating propane using nitric acid at a temperature of 350 to 450°C. This becomes a exothermic reaction that produces 4 major industrially nitroalkanes. These 4 are nitroethane, nitroethane, 1-nitropropane, and 2-nitropropane. Free radicals involved in this reaction are CH₃CH₂CH₂O. These correspond to nitrite ester arising via homolysis. They are alkoxy radicals which are susceptible to C—C fragmentation reactions.

Another method to produce nitroethane using Victor Meyer reaction with bromoethane or  iodoethane combine with silver nitrite in diethyl ether solvent or using the Kornblum Modification with alkyl halides and the sodium nitrate salt with dimethyl sulfoxide or the dimethylformamide solvent.

Using condensations such as the Henry reaction nitroethane can convert to multiple compounds of a commercial interest. Using 3.4 dimethoxybenzaldehyde makes the precursor for a antihypertensive drug called methyldopa. Using two equivalents of formaldehyde which after hydrogenation produces 2-amino-2-methyl-1,3-propanediol then use oleic acid with that to give oxazoline that protonates to produce a cationic surfactant. Using unsubstituted benzaldehyde gives phenyl-2-nitropropene.