Glycol ethers are a group of solvent

Solvent

A solvent is a liquid, solid, or gas that dissolves another solid, liquid, or gaseous solute, resulting in a solution that is soluble in a certain volume of solvent at a specified temperature...

s based on alkyl ether

Ether

Ethers are a class of organic compounds that contain an ether group — an oxygen atom connected to two alkyl or aryl groups — of general formula R–O–R'. A typical example is the solvent and anesthetic diethyl ether, commonly referred to simply as "ether"...

s of ethylene glycol

Ethylene glycol

Ethylene glycol is an organic compound widely used as an automotive antifreeze and a precursor to polymers. In its pure form, it is an odorless, colorless, syrupy, sweet-tasting liquid...

 commonly used in paint

Paint

Paint is any liquid, liquefiable, or mastic composition which after application to a substrate in a thin layer is converted to an opaque solid film. One may also consider the digital mimicry thereof...

s. These solvents typically have higher boiling point, together with the favorable solvent properties of lower molecular weight of ethers and alcohol

Alcohol

In chemistry, an alcohol is an organic compound in which the hydroxy functional group is bound to a carbon atom. In particular, this carbon center should be saturated, having single bonds to three other atoms....

s. The word "Cellosolve" was registered in 1924 as a United States trademark by Carbide & Carbon Chemicals Corp. (later named Union Carbide Corp.) for "Solvents for Gums, Resins, Cellulose Esters, and the Like", ; the first one was ethyl cellosolve (ethylene glycol monoethyl ether), with the name now generic for glycol ethers.

Glycol ethers can be also derived of diethylene glycol

Diethylene glycol

Diethylene glycol is an organic compound with the formula 2O. It is a colorless, practically odorless, poisonous, and hygroscopic liquid with a sweetish taste. It is miscible in water, alcohol, ether, acetone, and ethylene glycol. DEG is a widely used solvent...

 (carbitols). Acetate

Acetate

An acetate is a derivative of acetic acid. This term includes salts and esters, as well as the anion found in solution. Most of the approximately 5 billion kilograms of acetic acid produced annually in industry are used in the production of acetates, which usually take the form of polymers. In...

s of glycols are a similar kind of potent solvents.

Recent study suggests that occupational exposure to glycol ethers is related to low motile sperm count

Semen analysis

A semen analysis evaluates certain characteristics of a male's semen and the sperm contained in the semen. It may be done while investigating a couple's infertility or after a vasectomy to verify that the procedure was successful. It is also used for testing donors for sperm donation, in stud...

 in men, but the finding has been disputed by others.

Glycol ether solvents

• Ethylene glycol monomethyl ether
  2-Methoxyethanol
  2-Methoxyethanol, or methyl cellosolve, is an organic compound that is used mainly as a solvent. It is a clear, colorless liquid with an ether-like odor. It is in a class of solvents known as glycol ethers which are notable for their ability to dissolve a variety of different types of chemical...
  
   (2-methoxyethanol, CH₃OCH₂CH₂OH)

• Ethylene glycol monoethyl ether
  2-Ethoxyethanol
  2-Ethoxyethanol, also known by the trademark Cellosolve or ethyl cellosolve, is a solvent used widely in commercial and industrial applications...
  
   (2-ethoxyethanol, CH₃CH₂OCH₂CH₂OH)

• Ethylene glycol monopropyl ether (2-propoxyethanol, CH₃CH₂CH₂OCH₂CH₂OH)

• Ethylene glycol monoisopropyl ether (2-isopropoxyethanol, (CH₃)₂CHOCH₂CH₂OH)

• Ethylene glycol monobutyl ether
  2-Butoxyethanol
  2-Butoxyethanol is an organic solvent with the formula BuOC2H4OH . It is a colorless liquid with a sweet, ether-like odour. It is a butyl ether of ethylene glycol...
  
   (2-butoxyethanol, CH₃CH₂CH₂CH₂OCH₂CH₂OH), a widely used solvent in paintings and surface coatings, cleaning products and inks

• Ethylene glycol monophenyl ether (2-phenoxyethanol, C₆H₅OCH₂CH₂OH)

• Ethylene glycol monobenzyl ether (2-benzyloxyethanol, C₆H₅CH₂OCH₂CH₂OH)

• Diethylene glycol monomethyl ether (2-(2-methoxyethoxy)ethanol, methyl carbitol, CH₃OCH₂CH₂OCH₂CH₂OH)

• Diethylene glycol monoethyl ether
  2-(2-Ethoxyethoxy)ethanol
  2-ethanol, also known under trade names Carbitol, Carbitol cellosolve, Transcutol, Dioxitol, Poly-solv DE, and Dowanal DE, is an industrial solvent. It is a clear, colorless, hygroscopic liquid. Structurally it is an alcohol and an ether, a triethylene glycol with missing one hydroxyl group with...
  
   (2-(2-ethoxyethoxy)ethanol, carbitol cellosolve, CH₃CH₂OCH₂CH₂OCH₂CH₂OH)

• Diethylene glycol mono-n-butyl ether (2-(2-butoxyethoxy)ethanol, CH₃CH₂CH₂CH₂OCH₂CH₂OCH₂CH₂OH)

Dialkyl ethers

• Ethylene glycol dimethyl ether
  Dimethoxyethane
  Dimethoxyethane, also known as glyme, monoglyme, dimethyl glycol, ethylene glycol dimethyl ether, dimethyl cellosolve, and DME, is a clear, colorless, aprotic, and liquid ether that is used as a solvent. Dimethoxyethane is miscible with water.Dimethoxyethane is often used as a higher boiling...
  
   (dimethoxyethane, CH₃OCH₂CH₂OCH₃), a higher boiling alternative to diethyl ether
  Diethyl ether
  Diethyl ether, also known as ethyl ether, simply ether, or ethoxyethane, is an organic compound in the ether class with the formula . It is a colorless, highly volatile flammable liquid with a characteristic odor...
  
   and THF
  Tetrahydrofuran
  Tetrahydrofuran is a colorless, water-miscible organic liquid with low viscosity at standard temperature and pressure. This heterocyclic compound has the chemical formula 4O. As one of the most polar ethers with a wide liquid range, it is a useful solvent. Its main use, however, is as a precursor...
  
  , also used as a solvent for polysaccharides, a reagent in organometallic chemistry and in some electrolytes of lithium batteries
  Lithium battery
  Lithium batteries are disposable batteries that have lithium metal or lithium compounds as an anode. Depending on the design and chemical compounds used, lithium cells can produce voltages from 1.5 V to about 3.7 V, over twice the voltage of an ordinary zinc–carbon battery or alkaline battery...
  
  

• Ethylene glycol diethyl ether (diethoxyethane, CH₃CH₂OCH₂CH₂OCH₂CH₃)

• Ethylene glycol dibutyl ether (dibutoxyethane, CH₃CH₂CH₂CH₂OCH₂CH₂OCH₂CH₂CH₂CH₃)

Esters

• Ethylene glycol methyl ether acetate (2-methoxyethyl acetate, CH₃OCH₂CH₂OCOCH₃)

• Ethylene glycol monethyl ether acetate (2-ethoxyethyl acetate, CH₃CH₂OCH₂CH₂OCOCH₃)

• Ethylene glycol monobutyl ether acetate (2-butoxyethyl acetate, CH₃CH₂CH₂CH₂OCH₂CH₂OCOCH₃)